Ninjas in Newton? Newton Mearns unlocks the doors to a ninja-themed kids coding dojo!
On Sunday 15th May, kids from across the region helped the team at Code Ninjas celebrate the launch of their brand-new coding dojo. Local dad of two, Colin Campbell, was determined to make it a day to remember for video-game-loving kids in their community.
Code Ninjas opened its doors at the historic Kirkhill House to crowds of budding young Ninjas. Amongst the excited children and their parents were plenty of games and activities to enjoy. "Coding is so much fun and I wanted to make our Grand Opening showcase that. We put on all sorts of activities from building games and robots, to a ‘Find the Ninja’ game around Kirkhill House.”
“At Code Ninjas kids aged 5-14 can make real progress and gain valuable skills while having a great time. It’s important to let our Ninjas – the name we give our students - develop through the exploration of practical activities, like building their own video games, so they can develop at their own pace. Learning about computers at such a young age is essential in the modern world, but children will only develop a love for coding through a welcoming and exciting atmosphere, and that’s what we have built at Code Ninjas,” explained Colin.
Ninjas can attend up to two sessions a week at times that are convenient for the whole family. This means that sessions don’t have to be on the same day and time every week. Sessions include CREATE and JR options, which Ninjas will be able to work through after school and on weekends. Code SenseisTM help Ninjas progress through the programme by working towards coloured wristbands - or ‘belts’ - based on the colour system in martial arts.
Colin also announced some exciting news for those in attendance: “the demand for our curriculum has meant we are now offering specialist camps this summer. Code Ninjas is about so much more than teaching children how to code and build video games. We develop our students’ sense of self-confidence by showing them how to work as part of a team, which is a truly invaluable transferable skill.”
When they could be prised away from activities at the event, one Ninja said: “I enjoy learning with the team at Code Ninjas. They are easy to talk to and explain coding in a fun way. I can’t wait to come back.”
On bringing their child along to the free open day, local parent Sharon said, “We are so glad we found Code Ninjas. Our eight-year-old son had asked for quite a while to do coding, and there was nothing out there locally except for online courses which we didn’t enjoy. Now we have a local club where he gets to go every week, meet like-minded children and learn to do something he loves with support from Colin and his team. He has so much fun and is always ready to tell us what he’s been up to. I am already seeing him take what he’s learned into his schoolwork and everyday tasks! It’s fantastic!”
To sign up or find out more about Code Ninjas, visit: https://www.codeninjas.com/locations-list/gb/rfw/glasgow