Helpful Tips

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!

How the Code Club platform helps club leaders

Running a Code Club just got a whole lot simpler — and more fun! Our Code Club platform has been redesigned to help you connect with your community and streamline your club management.

A young coder and a Code Club leader are sat at a desk talking.
Running your Code Club

We’ve recently updated the site we use to manage clubs and we’ve packed the new platform with exciting features to help club leaders like you. Here are a few highlights:

  • Parents/guardians can find and learn more about a club
  • Anyone interested can subscribe to email updates about a club
  • Potential volunteers can find and offer to mentor at a club
  • People can see and book tickets to upcoming events
  • Club leaders can manage event ticketing, volunteer requests, and send emails to subscribers

Discover the improved dashboard

Managing your Code Club is easier than ever with the revamped dashboard. When you log in, you’ll be taken to the dashboard where you can access everything you need.

Club leaders can manage their club, including updating their club profile, creating events, and reviewing volunteer applications. Volunteers can use the dashboard to see their clubs, access training materials, and find support resources.

The dashboard shares different training materials and support resources

Tell people about your club on its profile page

You can now easily edit the description on your club’s profile page and update key details about your club, including:

  • The times and days that your club runs
  • Whether you are looking for mentors for your club
  • Whether your club runs online or in person
  • Links to your social media pages
  • To see how to do this, and other changes you can make to your club’s public profile, check out this FAQ article.

Making it easier for volunteers to find your club

Potential volunteers can quickly find local Code Clubs and easily request to volunteer. The clearer club profile page design allows volunteers to express their interest quickly, helping club leaders build a stronger and more vibrant mentor team.

Once someone requests to volunteer at your Code Club, their dashboard will show them the steps to get started.

These steps include completing our safeguarding module, getting a background check, and contacting the club to arrange a visit. This ensures that all volunteers are well-prepared and equipped to support your Code Club.

Here’s a peek at the dashboard a new Code Club mentor will see

Create and manage events easily

Say goodbye to complicated ticketing systems! Our platform makes it easy to create ticketed events for your Code Club. Club leaders can offer up to three different ticket types and collect emergency contact information for attendees during the booking process. Also, when you publish a new event, everyone subscribed to your club will automatically receive an email notification. 

Parents/guardians no longer need to register an account to book — ensuring they have a hassle-free experience — and they’ll get an email confirming their booking right away.

Need to cancel an event? No problem! You can do so directly on the platform, which will automatically notify everyone who booked a ticket.

Keep in contact with your club’s subscribers

Keep your community informed! As a club leader, you can email parents, guardians, and volunteers who subscribe to updates on your club’s profile. Subscribers will automatically receive an email notification whenever you create a new event.

Send updates to your Code Club community

You can also send custom messages to your subscribers directly through the Code Club platform. You can use markdown to easily format your emails and make them look great. If you’re new to markdown or need some inspiration, check out this website to see examples and preview your formatting.

You have full control over your subscriber list. You can remove subscribers, or people can unsubscribe themselves at any time.

Learn more about how club leaders can email subscribers with this tutorial video.

Access your favourite resources with ease

Previously, Code Club mentors needed to log in to access our resources, but now they are available to all from our website. We’ve also reorganised them, meaning it is easier to access and find what you need. 

Explore our bank of free resources

Apply to start a new club and get it verified

For those looking to start a Code Club, we have improved the verification process. Now, safeguarding sponsors are contacted immediately when you submit your club application, speeding up the process for new clubs.

In short, you can now spend less time on admin and more time inspiring the next generation of coders! Log in to the Code Club platform and start making use of all the new platform features.

Supporting Code Club mentors

Code Clubs thrive on the energy and dedication of volunteer mentors. These amazing individuals generously give their time and expertise to inspire the next generation of coders. But even the most enthusiastic volunteer needs support! Here are some ways to show your appreciation and keep your mentors engaged.

Girl sat at a desk looking at a computer sceen. Behind her are two adults, leaning in and looking at the screen.
Volunteer mentors help to keep Code Clubs running.

Recognise and appreciate

There are some easy ways to show how much you value the support of the mentors at your Code Club: 

  • Regular shout-outs: Publicly acknowledge mentors’ contributions during club sessions, in newsletters, or on social media.
  • Small gestures: A simple “thank you” goes a long way. Why not suggest that the young creators code a thank-you card for their mentors at the end of the term? 
  • Celebrate milestones: Mark anniversaries of mentors’ involvement — for example, after they’ve been volunteering for six months. Also, celebrate their successes — this could be when a mentor has supported a creator to enter Coolest Projects or send their code to space with the European Astro Pi Challenge.

Provide ongoing training and development

Not all mentors will come from a coding background. You can show your support and make them feel like valued members of your Code Club by helping them gain new skills and confidence: 

  • Workshops and webinars: Encourage mentors to take advantage of the many online workshops and webinars offered by Code Club. Interested mentors can learn new coding languages, concepts, and mentoring techniques in a supportive, friendly environment.
  • Peer mentoring: Pair experienced mentors with newer ones for guidance and support.
  • Access to resources: Point mentors towards the Raspberry Pi Foundation’s bank of free courses. If there’s an article or book you’ve found helpful, share it with them. Everyone loves a recommendation!
Sign up to a Raspberry Pi free computing course

Create a supportive community

When we create a supportive community we provide a space for mentors to share experiences, challenges, and successes with others. There are some easy ways to do this: 

  • Regular meetings: Organise regular meetings for mentors to connect, share ideas, and discuss challenges.
  • Online communication: All mentors can join our Code Club Slack instance. In this online forum, mentors can chat to each other, get inspired, and find answers to a range of questions from our friendly global community. 
  • Coffee and conversation: Encourage mentors to sign up for Code Club online meetups. There’s no agenda at these meetups — they’re just a space for mentors and club leaders to share ideas, ask questions, and collaborate. 
Five adults are sat on a long table all working on laptops.
Find a space for mentors to meet and share experiences

Value their time and expertise

No matter your mentors’ backgrounds, they have something to offer your Code Club! Make sure you value their time and set clear expectations from the beginning. This will help with volunteer burnout and ensure everyone has a rewarding experience. 

  • Clear expectations: Communicate clearly about the time commitment and responsibilities involved in being a mentor at your club.
  • Flexibility: Be flexible with scheduling and allow mentors to contribute in ways that suit their skills and availability.
  • Listen to feedback: Actively seek and respond to mentors’ suggestions for club improvements.

These tips will help create a positive and inclusive Code Club environment, where all mentors feel welcome and valued. 

Show your appreciation for your Code Club mentors at your next session. Use our ‘From me to you‘ Scratch project to create a personalised thank-you card.