Local kids celebrate Halloween with SPOOKtacular free coding sessions in new Aylesbury dojo
On Saturday 29th October, local families flocked to Bucks New University Aylesbury campus for the fang-tastic grand opening of a brand-new kids coding studio – Code Ninjas. Launched by local best friends Robin Theakston and Charlie Gunn, the pair were proud to celebrate offering more children across Aylesbury the opportunity to code with the launch of their new junior programme.
“It was amazing to see so many families come together to see us for some spine-tingling free coding sessions,” said Robin. “We’re so appreciative of all the new and familiar faces that enjoyed Halloween with us and celebrated the success we and our Ninjas have had since opening in the summer. With some impressive fancy dress costumes, ghoulishly themed coding challenges, as well as lots and lots of trick-or-treat sweets, everyone seemed to have a terrifyingly terrific time!”
For dads Robin and Charlie, inspiring young children in their community from an early age is a real passion project of theirs.
“Since launching Code Ninjas in Aylesbury, it’s been amazing to see so many Ninjas – the name we give to our students – progressing in our dojo and having a blast building video games and developing coding skills,” said Charlie. “After the success of our summer sessions, it only made sense to welcome even more young coders into our dojo with the launch of our new junior programme, specially created for children as young as five.”
After opening their first dojo in High Wycombe earlier this year, and with Aylesbury now successfully up and running, they are dedicated to delivering a quality and engaging curriculum to more children aged 5-14 across the county.
“We think it’s really important to encourage and nurture this passion at an early age by letting our Ninjas explore practical activities, like building their own video games,” explained Robin. “They are learning the language of the future – we want to give kids a gift that lasts a lifetime. Learning about computers at such a young age is crucial because it helps build the key foundations for future success. We are just getting started on our mission to create confident, resilient kid coders across Buckinghamshire!”
Robin and Charlie’s commitment to providing children with a safe, welcoming and exciting atmosphere to explore something they love hasn’t gone unnoticed by parents. Fatima, who took her child for one of the free coding sessions at the event, said, “The sessions were so calm, well-organised and the team were so friendly.”
And for budding Ninjas, the day certainly didn’t disappoint! Olivia, one of the kids at the event, said, “I really enjoyed playing and then remixing codes for some fun Halloween games!” and Yusuf, who took part in one of the free trial junior sessions, had a great time getting stuck into the activities on offer, saying, “I loved the Lego golf project! It was so cool and so much fun!”
“We’re here to guide the children through our exciting curriculum and, with the help of our team of instructors, called Code Senseis, truly put Aylesbury on the map for kids’ coding classes,” said Charlie. “We’re looking forward to seeing out the end of a fantastic year by welcoming our new Ninjas when our junior programme officially starts on 5th November!”
To sign up for a free trial session for your child or find out more about Code Ninjas, visit https://www.codeninjas.co.uk/aylesbury-bkm-uk