summer camp · ages 6 and up
Minecraft Robotics Coding Camp for Kids in Frisco, TX
In this camp, ninjas will learn basic computer science concepts using Minecraft: Education Edition. Through fun and engaging tutorials, ninjas will get a chance to experiment with CS fundamentals like for loops and variables.
- Minecraft Education
- MakeCode
In the camp
What they do
The projects they work through in the camp, one at a time.
Agent, moving and building
The in-game robot, given instructions in MakeCode blocks. Day one is getting it to walk somewhere and lay blocks as it goes.
A house built by code
Not placed by hand. They gather materials, then write the code that puts the walls up - with variables for the block type, the length and the width.
A moat, dug on a loop
The point at which repeating yourself stops being the way to do it.
A selfie story
Four locations, a book and quill, and a story told through what they visited.
A build challenge of their own
The last day is theirs, using every idea from the week.
The concepts behind it
What they are actually learning
The camp is the reason they turn up. These are the ideas they use to do it, shown the way they meet them, and they are the same ideas behind any programming language they pick up later.
Sequencing
move forward 3turn leftplace stoneSteps run in the order you wrote them, like a recipe or a LEGO kit. Swap two lines and Agent builds something else entirely.
Variables
set height to 50jump heightset height to 500A named value the code can change without rewriting the command around it. One variable turns a house into any size of house.
Loops
repeat 12Agent dig forwardAgent move forwardCode that runs until a condition is met, so digging a moat is four lines instead of forty-eight.
Events
on chat command buildAgent starts the buildon block placedplay soundCode that waits for something to happen rather than running from the top. It is what makes a world react.
After camp
Loved our camp? Keep building all year.
Robotics is the school-year robotics program, where a ninja works through four kits across the year. The first session is free, so they can try it before you decide.
Before you ask
Common questions
What is Agent?
The robot built into Minecraft Education Edition. A ninja writes code and Agent carries it out, so a mistake in the logic is something you watch happen rather than read.
Blocks or typed code?
MakeCode blocks. The same editor also shows the JavaScript and Python behind them, which is where a ninja who is ready usually starts looking.
How is this different from Minecraft Modding?
Modding changes what is in the game - new blocks, mobs and items. This one is about instructing a robot inside it, and it is where sequencing, variables and loops get taught properly.
Do we need Minecraft at home?
No. Education Edition runs on our machines and is set up before they arrive.
Ages 6+
Ages 6+
Ages 6+