Get your Code Club coding with AI and ML

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are transforming the world around us, and it’s more important than ever for young people to understand this technology.

By introducing AI and ML concepts in your Code Club, you can equip your members with essential skills for the future, spark their creativity, and empower them to become responsible users of AI technologies.

Code Club’s AI projects make exploring AI and ML a blast. You can learn more about the projects in our ‘Taking your first steps into AI’ blog. With hands-on activities and fun challenges, they’re the perfect way to spark a passion for these exciting technologies.

“The AI learning path gives kids an understanding of the different ways AI fits into our world, whether they’re looking at photo recognition or my favourite project ‘Doodle detector’, where we get to draw and decide what our picture is. All of these feed into how young people understand the way AI works, and getting in early gives them a deep understanding of how that can work to help them in the future, and what to look for so that they don’t get caught out by it.”
– Kaye North, Code Club Australia

Project options for every club

New to AI? Start with the ‘Doodle detector’

If you’re new to AI, the Doodle detector is a great project to start with. You don’t need any special kit, just a computer. Creators draw different objects, then train an ML model to recognise their drawings. It’s a fun way for creators to see for themselves how model training works.

Can the model detect an apple? A banana? A cat? A caterpillar? Gather your Code Club and put it to the test!

Limited connectivity? No problem!

In our unplugged Dinosaur decision tree project, creators explore how ML models use decision trees to sort things into groups.

This project uses a paper-based decision tree to classify dinosaurs, but you could classify anything.

Short on time? Create an AI image

Need a quick and creative activity? Try our ‘AI-generated images’ project and produce amazing AI images with Adobe Firefly. Your creators will learn how to write text prompts and then watch as generative AI brings their creations to life.

This project uses Adobe Firefly, which requires an Adobe ID. You must be 13 or older to register for an individual Adobe ID.

Got a microphone? Use your voice!

In the Fish food project, creators train an ML model to recognise voice commands and then play a fun fish-feeding game using their commands. You’ll need a microphone for this one. Want to feed a giraffe or a penguin instead? Go for it!

More advanced coders? Level up with a large language model

Your more advanced Code Club creators can learn how to run a large language model on their Raspberry Pi and create a powerful AI assistant using Ollama.

This project is not recommended for learners below the age of 13 and we encourage Code Club creators to engage with this material responsibly.

New AI safety resources

The Raspberry Pi Foundation has released new AI safety resources that equip educators with the tools to empower learners to question AI technologies, think critically, and use AI technologies responsibly. The AI safety resources allow for flexible learning and have been built around three key components: animations, unplugged activities, and discussion questions.

Head to the Code Club projects page to find these projects and more! Don’t be afraid to experiment and have fun. Who knows? Your Code Club might just create the next big thing in AI!

A group of young people gather around a table as they work on activity together.

Three icebreaker activities that will build connections within your club

Kickstart your Code Club by using an icebreaker activity! Let us guide you through three icebreakers and how they can help your creators to connect, collaborate, and feel comfortable learning together.

Young people all face the mentor who stands at the front of the classroom — Young people at Linton-on-Ouse Primary School and Nursery getting started at their Code Club.

What is the best way to start your Code Club? There will never be one right answer that will fit everyone: the way you run your sessions will depend on the unique needs of your attendees, their ages, and interests.

But what about those scenarios where you have been thrown a curveball? A new club member is joining, or your creators have all rushed in, and they’re bouncing off the walls! This is where you might want to consider an icebreaker activity.

What is an icebreaker?

An icebreaker is a short activity that takes up to 15 minutes to complete. They can be used at the start of your Code Club session to help everyone get to know each other and warm up. Icebreakers are also a good way to disconnect from whatever activity your creators have come from and turn their focus to Code Club. We recommend choosing an unplugged activity for this.

Let’s explore three icebreaker activities and how they could benefit your Code Club.

New to the club

First up is ‘introduce a teammate’. This icebreaker is excellent for welcoming any newcomers to your Code Club. Led by the creators, it gives them an opportunity to get to know each other in a fun way.

This icebreaker is a low-pressure activity to encourage communication, help new members quickly gain a sense of belonging, and develop public speaking skills, especially in quieter creators. It’s even more of a challenge if creators already know each other: what new facts can they share?

Creating a positive learning environment

Do your creators regularly come charging into the room, buzzing with excitement? Of course they do, and you’re keen to channel this energy into your session, but how do you go about creating a positive learning environment?

The icebreaker ‘robot maze’, works to ease your creators into the session by immediately focusing their energy on an exciting task, as they learn the importance of of being specific when creating their code.

There’s so much flexibility with our icebreaker activities. Why not encourage calm by making this an individual activity. Each creator can try out their instructions on the robot one at a time, getting their brains into gear as they link their learning to the coding project or content you are planning to cover in the session.

Mixing things up

You can use ‘the low-tech social network’ icebreaker to encourage young creators to get to know each other. Creators who regularly attend Code Club may find themselves sitting with the same people at each session.

This icebreaker presents the perfect opportunity to help your creators connect by finding similarities with one another. By encouraging them to chat to lots of different creators, you can build cooperation and teamwork skills to use further down the line.

Check out all of our unplugged activities and try one of these icebreakers in your next Code Club session!

Beyond the classics: exploring Code Club projects in 2025

At the end of 2024, we crunched the numbers and found that classic Code Club projects like ‘Space talk’, ‘Boat race’, and ‘Ghostbusters’ remain popular choices across the world. In 2025, dive into some of our other inspiring projects to help your creators build on their skills!

Exploring new projects and adding your own creative spin can boost learning, spark excitement, and unlock fresh inspiration for you and your creators.

Our projects site offers over 200 coding projects that provide support for creators to learn at their own pace and grow their confidence through hands-on learning. This empowers them to successfully bring their ideas to life through code. Code Club mentor Bob shares how he has used the projects in his club:

“The Code Club projects help motivate creators through the structure. I spend a lot of time at the beginning of a new year with a fresh group of coders showing them the projects and how they work through them, and how they go from one page to the next and find all the hints and tips in the projects.”

– Bob, Code Club mentor

Check out our suggestions and try a new project in your club this year.

Moving on from ‘Space talk’

After Space talk, launch a new space-themed activity with Alien language! Creators will train a machine learning model to recognise alien words and use it to control an alien in Scratch. Get ready for a fun, possibly noisy, introduction to machine learning.

You can expand the project by encouraging your creators to change the sprites and backdrops.

From boat racing to scoring goals

Boat race is a Code Club classic, but why not take those coding skills to the next level with a new game? Beat the goalie guides coders to create a two-player game where the aim is to score as many goals as possible in 30 seconds.

Creators can customise the sport, target, and players to make the game their own.

‘Ghostbusters’ is just the beginning

If you love Ghostbusters, try a new challenge with Clone wars. Creators can build on their existing Scratch skills and discover exciting new concepts by creating a game to save the Earth from space monsters — or any other threat that coders can dream up.

“The Code Club projects start the ball rolling. I often start with the ‘Ghostbusters’ project and very rarely do children make a ghost floating around a manor. They’re picking sprites that relate to things that they’re interested in. Whether it’s about footballs, food, or anything else is what sparks their creativity and inspires them to experiment.”

– Rachel, Code Club mentor, Stevenage, UK

Creators can swap out the extraterrestrial invaders for giant robots, mischievous gremlins, or even a swarm of angry bees. The possibilities are endless!

Explore the Code Club projects, where creators are guided through new coding and design skills to make things that matter to them.

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