MakerKids-Waterloo

Waterloo is a city in Ontario and is a great place for kids and to raise a family. According to an annual survey by MoneySense Magazine, Waterloo is the 10th best city to live in Canada. There are several parks and open spaces for kids to enjoy, and the schools have an excellent reputation.

STEM is also making a mark in Waterloo with some programs available for kids. This is a great stepping stone because it introduces kids to a growing field that they may someday want to make a career out of.

STEM Popularity in Canada

STEM skills are needed in Canada as it is home to several prominent technology companies.

Big names like Shopify, Skipthedishes, Hootsuite, and RBC, all call Canada home. 

Many people in Canada are aware of the popularity STEM programs have. One study found that more than half of Canadians would focus on a career in a STEM field if they had a chance to turn back time to when they were 18. The time is now for today’s generation to try a career in STEM.

Besides being in-demand, STEM jobs also pay well. According to data from the 2016 census by Statistics Canada, the average income of a STEM graduate is $15,000 higher than non-STEM graduates. When you combine all of these factors, you can see that getting kids interested in STEM now is a great idea.

Why Try MakerKids?

MakerKids is the first makerspace for kids in the world. It was founded in 2010. MakerKids has gone on to pioneer the industry as we look for new and innovative ways to engage children in the world of STEM

Although we are Canada-based, we offer virtual classes so that children from all over can take part. Children can learn about robotics, coding, and even Minecraft. Our instructors are top-notch in their field and love to share their knowledge with children of all ages.

Children also learn life skills they will carry with them for years. Kids are learning to be confident adults and how to interact with others in the real world. They learn important communication skills as well as how to work as a team and how to give and take criticism.

How MakerKids Stands Out in Waterloo

If you’ve been searching around you’ve probably noticed several STEM camps in Waterloo, but not many classes that are offered year-round. That’s not the case at MakerKids. We offer both! That’s one of the ways MakerKids stands out among the competition.

At MakerKids, we also always have a live instructor leading the class. Not all other programs can say that. Also, not all programs involve younger children. At MakerKids, we offer a MiniMakers program for children in grades 1-2. This lets them begin to explore at a young age. They get introduced to coding and robotics and can decide which one they’d like to pursue as they get older.

Another aspect that stands out about our classes is that we offer ones that are dedicated to Minecraft. While some people believe this is just a game, we know it can be used as a tool to teach other STEM topics like coding and robotics.

You’ll also find that our online classes at MakerKids are reasonable in price. We are competitive with your local classes, if not priced better than what you’ll find in Waterloo.

Virtual Classes at MakerKids

At MakerKids, we offer classes in three main areas for children in grades 3-8; robotics, coding, and Minecraft. Children in grades 3-5 learn together and those in 6-8 are together. As we mentioned, children in grades 1-2 can take their own Mini Makers class that is geared towards them.

All classes are age-appropriate so that kids get the most out of the classes. Classes are kept small with no more than five students. This allows for enough time for students to ask questions and get the help they need. This is especially important in a virtual setting because instructors are not in person. But, since there are fewer kids in the class, kids get the attention they need to be successful.

All of our instructors have gone through an extensive background check so you can always feel confident that your child is being taught by the best in the business. Whether it’s coding, robotics, or Minecraft, our MakerKids instructors are ready to propel your children into the exciting world of STEM where the sky’s the limit.

Let’s take a closer look at the classes offered at MakerKids:

Coding

Children learn the basics and more when it comes to the tools they need to code on their own. Topics like animation, character development, level design, and beta testing are all taught.

Robotics

Does your child want to make their own electronic creation?  Their ideas come to life as they learn how to wire up circuits, make virtual lights light up, and code a virtual “robot brain”. The best part is that they can do this right from their homes.

Minecraft

If you thought Minecraft was just a videogame, our classes will make you think again! By using Minecraft as a learning tool, kids learn to grasp STEM topics like robotics and coding. Many of them never realized how much STEM was a part of this popular game until they started taking our class. 

Mini-Makers

Children are never too young to learn about STEM. That’s why we have our Mini-Makers class for kids in grades 1-2. They get introduced to robotics and coding and learn to design their own video game, make robots, and try other experiments. From there, they can choose a specific area to study as they get older.

Birthday Parties, Camps, and More!

Virtual Birthday Parties

Besides our award-winning programs, we also offer virtual birthday parties and camps. Our birthday parties were named one of 10 awesome birthday places by “Today’s Parent”.

During our virtual parties, your child can celebrate with their friends and connect over the internet. Children get to do all of the activities they would if the party was in person, they’re just doing it from their homes.

This is how it works:

You choose the topic; robotics, coding, or Minecraft. We develop an age-appropriate activity based on your guests. Our instructors will guide the children through the activity and even take a break to play games. 

Our virtual parties include time for cake and presents too. Our typical birthday party lasts two hours, or you can customize your own.

Camps

There are also MakerKids virtual camps that allow your child to explore STEM topics right from home. We use many of the techniques and strategies taught in our virtual classes. You don’t have to worry about rushing around to get them to camp on time because your kids are doing it right from home. They’ll never be late and won’t miss a thing! 

Contact Us!

We love to connect with kids in Waterloo and all over the world with our virtual classes. Kids get the experience of meeting other kids while having fun with a STEM project of their own. Parents can also rest easy knowing that their children are in a safe online environment that is teaching them valuable skills.

If you’re in the Waterloo area and would like to learn more about our virtual classes at MakerKids call us today at 1-844-MAKERKIDS. Be sure to ask about our free trial class!