At Code Club, projects are a vehicle for something bigger. Whether creators are building a Scratch animation, designing a website, or experimenting with an AI project like Chomp the Cheese, the real value often lies in what they learn along the way.

Signing up for Coolest Projects 2026 gives this development a clear focus and a fun and inspiring goal to work towards.

Building confidence through sharing

When young people know they’re preparing a project to share beyond their own club, they take greater ownership of their work and spend more time refining their ideas. As they practise explaining what they’ve created, their confidence grows.

Coolest Projects isn’t about being the most advanced or technically complex. It’s about recognising effort, creativity, and progress. For many creators, submitting a project is the first time they see their work acknowledged on a wider stage, and that experience can be transformative.

“Over the years, I’ve learned how to approach projects when working on them… I’m starting a 3D printing project with LEDs and I want to use AI with it now after seeing it today.” – Amy, 13

Strengthening communication skills

Preparing their project encourages creators to pause and think about their work — what it does, how they built it, and what they’re most proud of.

Talking about their project, whether in a short description or a conversation, gives them the chance to practise explaining their ideas clearly. That process helps build confidence in sharing their thinking and often leads to helpful discussions about how they could improve or develop it further.

Connecting to a wider community

Just being in a Code Club means you already feel part of a community. Coolest Projects expands that sense of belonging by showing creators they are part of a global network of young digital makers.

Seeing the variety of projects submitted each year can be inspiring. It helps young people recognise that there isn’t one “right” kind of project, just different ideas, perspectives, and approaches.

“It’s nice to see all the different projects people have made…I want to keep working on my project, and I will definitely come back next year.” – Peter, 11

Inspiring pride and motivation

Taking part in Coolest Projects creates a natural milestone. It gives creators a reason to persevere when something isn’t working and a moment to feel proud when it is.

For some, it may be a first AI experiment. For others, a simple website or game they’ve steadily improved. Whatever the format, submitting a project reinforces that their ideas are worth developing and sharing.

That pride often leads to renewed motivation to try something more ambitious next time, to build on what they’ve learned, and to keep creating.

“I liked trying out new stuff and looking at people’s projects because most of them were interesting and it inspired me to start web design (html & css)!” – Raj, 14

Coolest Projects 2026 is open for registrations. Find an in-person event near you, or join our global virtual event this summer. 

If your Code Club is already building projects, you’re well on your way. Signing up is simply the next step in recognising the confidence, communication, and creativity your creators are already developing every week.

Not every Code Club session needs computers to support brilliant learning. Our new unplugged projects bring core computing concepts to life through games, puzzles, and hands-on activities that get creators moving, thinking, and collaborating — all without screens.

Why unplugged matters

We want to make computing concepts accessible to everyone. These unplugged activities support clubs working with limited devices and offer more flexible, hands-on session options.

This helps to build inclusivity and lower barriers for Code Clubs around the world, ensuring that every child has the chance to learn and create.

Built with (and tested by) the Code Club community

The success of these projects is a direct result of our community’s incredible support. The projects were tested in clubs all over the world, and mentors and creators shared valuable insights from real sessions that informed key improvements.

This collaboration helped ensure the resources are engaging, practical, and enjoyable. We’re deeply grateful to the community for playing such an important role in shaping these projects.

Four flexible formats to fit any session

There are four unplugged formats designed to flexibly support your sessions, making it easy to adapt activities to your time, space, and group.

Icebreakers (10–15 mins)

These icebreakers get creators moving and chatting in a relaxed way, without putting anyone on the spot. They’re perfect for new groups, setting a playful tone while building confidence and a sense of community from the start.

• Flexible for individuals or teams
• Builds sequencing, decomposition, and algorithmic thinking
• Encourages creativity and problem-solving 

When tested, creators loved the friendly competition, the mystery of the hidden treasure, and the freedom to get imaginative with their clues.

“Our Creators absolutely loved creating their own secret sequences of clues. It was a brilliant mix of a fun treasure hunt and a clever little challenge!”  – Code Club mentor

Warm-up activities (15–20 mins)

These activities gently introduce core concepts, which creators then explore further in a linked digital activity later in the session.

Standalone games (30–60 mins)

The self-contained games are ideal for exploring core concepts in your Code Club. They include built-in discussion starters to help creators make connections and reflect together.

Escape rooms (as long as you need!)

Our escape room projects are a series of linked puzzles with an exciting narrative that can unfold over one full session or several sessions. Creators experience blended storytelling while using code-breaking and teamwork to reach a shared end goal. These can be completed in teams or individually.

Escape the jungle with The Jungle Awakens

The Jungle Awakens is an immersive escape-room experience set in the Lost Temple of the Emerald Heart. Creators tackle linked puzzles — including logic challenges, ciphers, and navigation tasks — to uncover the temple’s secrets.

• Flexible for individuals, pairs, or small groups
• Introduces key computing concepts, from algorithms to cryptography
• Ideal for mixed-ability groups
• Encourages teamwork and communication

“It’s a fantastic series of linked puzzles with an exciting narrative. The blended storytelling, code-breaking, and teamwork all work together perfectly, and by the end, our club felt like a well-oiled problem-solving machine!” – Code Club mentor

Getting started with unplugged sessions

Unplugged sessions are flexible, low-prep and work well when devices are limited or you need to add some variety. They’re ideal for the start or end of term — or anytime you want to take learning off-screen.

Mix unplugged and digital by using unplugged activities as quick warm-ups to introduce core concepts like sequencing, then build on them in a linked digital activity. They also work well as extensions for early finishers or on device-free days.

Getting started is easy. No specialist equipment is needed, setup is minimal, and activities are designed for mixed-ability groups so every creator can take part and learn. 

Whether you’ve got five minutes or a full session, explore our unplugged projects and discover flexible, screen-free ways to build computing skills.