We use technology as a tool to teach kids valuable social-emotional skills.
MakerKids runs award-winning programs on coding, robotics and Minecraft.
Our proprietary, project-based curriculum with live, real-time instruction embeds lessons that help kids build: EQ, Confidence, Social Skills, Resilience and a Positive Relationship with Technology
And it’s a lot of fun, too!
MakerKids is a specialized, psychology-based program. The program is designed to strengthen and build social-emotional skills so your child can find success and unleash their untapped potential.
Join 10,352+ participants
worldwide, certified by MakerKids
Our program is a psychology-backed, whole-child approach to social-emotional skills development. Our staff are experienced in working with kids with autism, ADHD, anxiety, and more.
Your program includes measurable improvements in your child’s progress toward your goals. The program helps address a child’s needs, building progressively as they advance.
Improvements you see in the program lead to improved social-emotional behaviors and habits at home, in school, and eventually in careers.
Your child’s mentor will support them while teaching them about social-emotional skills.
Proprietary social-emotional training challenges participants through creativity, initiative and social activities
Technical Skills
Creativity
Problem-Solving Skills
Confidence
Social Skills
Resilience
Programs that encourage kids
to be themselves
Real-World Technical Skills
Kids learn industry-leading technologies, equipping them for high-earning careers of the future.
Putting Projects into Practice
Kids don’t just learn programming concepts – they get to use them to make real projects like games.
Confidence & Social Skills
Embedded in all our programs are social skill lessons, and the chance for kids to socialize with like-minded peers.
A Positive Approach To Tech
We want every child to leave MakerKids with the belief that they can use technology to shape the world around them.
250,000+ Student
Projects & Counting
Cat Chase
AmandaAn engaging game where the cat is chased by an A.I. dog.
Mouse Round-Up
JohnA game where a cat chases a bunch of cats controlled by artificial intelligence.
Rock Paper Scissors Tournament
AlexCombines core Python concepts learned into one grand rock paper scissors game. Uses if statements and more.
Maze Game Jenny
JennyA game where the player attempts to navigate a maze with walls of specific color. If they touch that color they are teleported back to the start of the maze.
Light House
BennettA tower with a light on at the top that can be controlled from a switch at the bottom.
Mail Box
KaraUses a comparator to determine if there is something in a chest. The chest represents a mailbox which users can leave messages for one another in using an ink and quill.
Enchantments
AmyEnchantments are basically just a way to add a tag to an item that can include a level value. It can be used to add procedures to run when different enchanted things interact with the world.
Singing Merry Go Round
JohnA minecraft cart that travels forever in a circle via powered rails. The movement of the cart can also serve as a redstone clock and generate redstone pulses via detector rails when a cart goes over them. You can then use these detector rail signals to power outputs such as lights, noteblocks, and pistons.
LED Catch
AstridAstrid used the coded an LED to move back and forth across the bottom of the matrix via button presses. She also added an LED that falls from the top and attempt to catch it.
Theremin
ArmanArman wired up a light sensor that responds to light level. This reading is then converted to be appropriate for the sound of a buzzer, as well as other outputs.
Musical Keyboard
IraIra wired up a virtual speaker and multiple buttons to create their own musical keyboard. Pressing different buttons triggers different notes allowing them to play a song or just jam out.
Big Mouth Billy Bass
HenryHenry wired up a virtual motion sensor (PIR = passive infrared sensor which outputs a digital signal when it detects motion (via a change in infrared input). By wiring up outputs, when it detects motion it can play sound a la Big Mouth Billy Bass (the singing mounted fish).
Why Parents and Children
Love MakerKids
Expert Facilitators
With a passion for youth and technology, our Maker Mentors recognize the uniqueness of your child and fosters their creative side and joy for STEM. Maker Mentors are trained to have students focus on the why and discover the logic behind the code instead of following a prescriptive set of instructions.
Engaging Curriculum
Programs are built for all interests and experience levels. See the excitement in your child as they watch their work come to life. All classes include mini-lessons on internet safety and computer literacy so your child is better prepared to navigate the digital world.
Social Connections
With a 5 to 1 child to staff ratio and a focus on collaborative problem solving our classes are designed for your child to actively participate. Parents are amazed at how fast their child opens up socially, as they connect and build friendships with like-minded children.
MakerKids has partnered with world-class organizations to deliver exceptional programs:
“MakerKids is a cool place where it’s cool to be smart.”
Massimo Banzi, CEO of Arduino, member of MakerKids’ Board of Advisors
“I think that MakerKids is doing some outstanding things for kids. Let’s get more kids into making.”
Carlos Contreras, Director of Education, Intel
Social-Emotional Skills Practice
for Students of Diverse Abilities
We offer unique social-emotional skills-based programs geared towards kids who love computer games and could use some extra practice building friendships and other social-emotional skills. Kids will learn some important social-emotional skills and practice making friends through fun and interactive coding, robotics and/or Minecraft activities. Target skills may include asking questions to peers, maintaining a conversation, cooperating to make group decisions and being more flexible when playing with peers.
Participating in MakerKids programs is a fun and social way for kids to gain fundamental technical skills. As kids become more adept at navigating and modifying the interfaces they are presented with, new challenges such as learning to code turns the experience into even more of an educational platform to help build transferable technical skills.
While we leverage kids’ interest in technology as a gateway to introduce them to other STEM topics, just as important in a cooperative group environment is the opportunity for teaching positive netizen, teamwork, and communication skills.
MakerKids founded the first makerspace for kids in the world in 2010, and went on to pioneer an industry and transform education. Today, kids can access MakerKids’ award-winning programs on Coding. Minecraft and Robotics from the comfort of their own home.
We’ve been invited to give talks about our work around the world, at SXSW, MakerCon, Maker Faire, TEDx and more. We have also written a book about our work, called Every Child A Maker – as well as a children’s book called The MakerKid.
We’ve trained educators and helped school boards and libraries implement makerspaces.
We’ve run programs for Google and Twitter, for their employees’ kids.
Your child will experience award-winning curriculum built by engineers, entrepreneurs, and graduates of the Singularity University program at NASA, and refined over 11+ years.
From bullied and disengaged to thriving entrepreneur
Hi, my name is Jennifer and I am the CEO of MakerKids.
as your child ever felt excluded? When I was 12 years old, I was being bullied and was disengaged at school. Then my teacher said that for my book report project, I should make a website. So I taught myself how to code, and made a website about Harry Potter. A few months later I found out my website had hundreds of thousands of views and was featured in a magazine. This was a very empowering moment for me – suddenly the bullying didn’t impact me as much, and I became more engaged at school. Later on, I was selected for a program based at NASA called Singularity University, where I learned how to apply technology to education. It was afterwards that I got started with MakerKids, with the goal of helping more kids have transformative experiences like I had as a kid. We’re excited that thousands of kids have gone through the programs and some have started businesses, been featured on TV, and had positive mental health outcomes. We hope to meet your family soon.
-Jennifer Turliuk
