Short answer: Robotics and coding classes for kids in this region run roughly $55 for a one-day workshop up to $400 for a full-week camp, with weekly after-school programs in between. Most start at age 6, and the useful split is 5–7 (screen-free building and block coding), 8–10 (real robots and block-to-text transition) and 11–14 (text languages, AI and competition). Good programs are built around the BC school curriculum’s Applied Design, Skills and Technologies (ADST) strand. Code Ninjas has not opened in Surrey yet despite appearing in search results, though the Langley centre is open and taking students. Free options exist: Surrey Libraries runs a Kids STEM Club at no cost.
“Robotics for kids” covers everything from snapping plastic bricks together to writing Python for a drone, at prices that vary by a factor of eight. This guide sorts out what your child would actually be doing at each age, what it costs, who runs it locally, and how to tell a real program from an expensive after-school club.
What a robotics class actually is, by age
Ages 5–7: building, not coding
At this age it is physical construction and simple cause-and-effect sequencing, usually with block-based or even screen-free coding — arranging cards or tiles that a robot then follows. The learning is sequencing, prediction and fixing something that did not work. Expect a lot of floor time and very little screen. Programs at this age are often called Junior or Nano streams.
Ages 8–10: real robots and block coding
The core age for this. Children build a working robot and program it in a visual block language, then move gradually toward typed code. Projects finish every couple of weeks, which matters enormously for motivation. This is also the age where 3D printing and game design hook children who are not interested in robots as such — designing and printing a Minecraft or Roblox model is the same design cycle in a different costume.
Ages 11–14: text code, AI and competition
Real programming languages, AI and machine-learning concepts, drones, and AR/VR at the top end. Competition becomes a genuine motivator here — build-and-compete tournaments and league-style events give the work a deadline and an audience, which is the difference between a hobby that lasts and one that fades after a term.
What it costs
| Format | Typical cost | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| One-day workshop | from $55 | A single project, good for testing interest |
| After-school program, 5–6 weeks | Mid-range | 1.5 hours a week, a project finished at the end |
| Weekend program, per level | Varies by level | 2 hours a week; a level runs 3–5 months |
| Full-week break camp | up to about $400 | Five days, 9–3 typically |
| Science camp week | $499.95 (5 days) | $429.95 for members; broader science, not robotics-only |
| Library STEM club | Free | Drop-in, short sessions |
Watch for the hidden variable: does your child keep the kit? Some programs send a take-home kit with each level, which is a real part of the value; others use shared classroom hardware, which is cheaper but means nothing continues at home between sessions. Neither is wrong — but they are not the same product at the same price.
Where to go
Young Innovators Robotics Lab
Young Innovators Robotics Lab teaches robotics, coding, AI and 3D printing to ages 6 to 14, with a curriculum aligned to the BC government’s ADST strand. Children build and program robots, make games and apps, and design and print 3D models including Minecraft and Roblox creations.
Formats cover most of what a family needs: multi-week after-school programs at 1.5 hours a week over five to six weeks, full-week spring and summer break camps, single-day workshops, an annual build-and-compete robotics tournament, and self-paced online courses. Prices run $55 to $400 depending on format.
They serve Langley, Abbotsford, Mission, North Delta, Tsawwassen, Ladner, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows and White Rock, with online courses beyond that. Contact: (778) 834-2186, info@younginnovators.ca.
OBotz
A structured, level-based robotics program for ages 6 to 18: OBotz Nano for 6–8, a seven-level core program from age 8, and advanced robotics and coding from age 10 covering machine learning and AI, drones and 3D AR/VR. Classes run two hours a week at weekends, and each level takes three to four months (levels 1–3) or four to five months (levels 4–7). Students get take-home kits and complete a project every two weeks. They offer a free trial class, which is the right way to test whether the format suits your child. Contact: 1-877-826-2795.
Others in the area
- Steamoji — a maker-academy model in South Surrey, running camps as well as term programs.
- STEMA Learning Centre — Surrey, covering robotics, AI, coding, engineering, digital arts and math.
- Science World Surrey Science Camps — broader science rather than robotics specifically, at Harold Bishop and Coast Meridian elementary schools for children entering grades 1 to 6, 9am–3pm, $499.95 for a five-day week or $399.95 for four ($429.95 and $349.95 for members), including a field trip to Science World.
Code Ninjas: open in Langley, not yet in Surrey
Worth stating plainly, because the search results are misleading. The Code Ninjas centre in Surrey is marked “coming soon” and is taking waitlist signups only. The Langley centre at 20727 Willoughby Town Centre Drive is open — Monday to Thursday 3:00–7:30pm, Friday to 6:30pm and Saturday 10:00am–2:00pm, on 604-802-2633. The model is ages 5–14 across JR (5–7) and CREATE (8–14), plus break camps, clubs, birthday parties and Parent’s Night Out. If you are in Surrey and find a Code Ninjas page for the city, check for the waitlist banner before planning around it — or drive to Willoughby. See our Langley robotics guide for the full Langley picture.
Free and low-cost options
You do not have to spend $400 to find out whether your child likes this.
- Surrey Libraries Kids STEM Club — free, drop-in, and the cheapest possible test of interest. Sessions are short and hands-on.
- Library maker and technology programs — branches run coding, 3D printing and maker sessions through the year at no cost.
- School ADST class — every BC student already does Applied Design, Skills and Technologies. Ask your child’s teacher what they are covering; a paid class that duplicates it is wasted money, and one that extends it is not.
- School robotics clubs and FIRST LEGO League — many Surrey schools run teams. Free or close to it, and the competition structure is the same one paid programs charge for.
- Free trial classes — several providers, including OBotz, offer one. Take it before committing to a multi-month level.
- Scratch and micro:bit at home — both free, both what many paid beginner classes actually teach. An afternoon with Scratch tells you a lot about whether the interest is real.
Weekly classes or break camps?
They do different jobs, and most families end up using both.
- A full-week camp is the better first purchase. Five consecutive days builds enough momentum to finish something substantial, and you find out in one week whether your child is engaged — instead of six weeks of Tuesdays.
- Weekly after-school programs are better for sustained progress once interest is established, because skills need spacing to stick. A 1.5-hour session once a week over six weeks beats the same hours crammed into two days.
- Level-based weekend programs suit children who are already committed. A three-to-five-month level is a real commitment; do not start there.
Break camps also solve a childcare problem at the same time. Our kids camps guide covers Surrey’s 2026–27 break dates and registration timing.
How this connects to school
ADST — Applied Design, Skills and Technologies — is a required part of the BC curriculum, covering design thinking, making, and computational thinking including coding. A program that says it is ADST-aligned is claiming its projects map to what the province expects children to be learning anyway.
That is a genuine differentiator, but check what it means in practice. Ask which ADST competencies a term covers and what the child produces. A good answer is specific — a working robot, a printed model, a playable game. A vague answer usually means the alignment is marketing.
Is this just more screen time?
A fair question, and the honest answer is: it depends on the program. Robotics and 3D printing are largely physical — building, testing, adjusting, printing — with the screen as a tool. Pure coding classes are screen work, though of a creative and problem-solving kind rather than consumption.
If screen time is a concern, ask directly: what proportion of a session is hands-on with physical hardware? For under-tens, a good robotics program should be majority hands-on. If the answer is that they are at a laptop for most of ninety minutes, that is a coding class, which is fine — but know which one you are buying.
Questions to ask before enrolling
- What is the instructor-to-student ratio? Robotics goes wrong constantly, by design. A child who waits fifteen minutes for help stops trying.
- Does my child keep the kit? And if not, can they continue anything at home between sessions?
- What will they have built by the end? A specific answer is a good sign.
- Who teaches it, and what is their background — engineering, teaching, or neither?
- Is there a free trial or a single-day workshop before the multi-week commitment?
- What happens if my child is ahead or behind the group? Mixed-ability handling is where cheap programs fall apart.
- Is the curriculum ADST-aligned, and how?
Frequently asked questions
What age should kids start robotics classes?
Most local programs start at age 6, and dedicated junior streams run from 6 to 8 with screen-free or block-based coding. Ages 8 to 10 is the core age for building and programming a real robot. Under 6, general play-based building at home does the same job for free.
How much do kids robotics and coding classes cost in Surrey?
From about $55 for a one-day workshop up to roughly $400 for a full-week camp, with multi-week after-school programs in between. A five-day Science World science camp week is $499.95, or $429.95 for members. Surrey Libraries runs a free Kids STEM Club.
Is there a Code Ninjas in Surrey or Langley?
In Langley, yes — the centre at 20727 Willoughby Town Centre Drive is open, on 604-802-2633, for ages 5 to 14. In Surrey, not yet: that location is still listed as coming soon and is taking waitlist signups only, even though it appears in search results as if it were open.
What is ADST and why does it matter?
Applied Design, Skills and Technologies is the BC curriculum strand covering design, making and computational thinking, including coding. Programs aligned to it are teaching in the same framework as school, which makes the two reinforce each other rather than run in parallel.
Are robotics classes just screen time?
Robotics and 3D printing are mostly physical — building, testing and adjusting, with the screen as a tool. Pure coding classes are screen-based. Ask what proportion of a session is hands-on with hardware; for under-tens it should be the majority.
Weekly classes or a break camp — which first?
A full-week break camp is the better first purchase. Five consecutive days gives enough momentum to finish something real, and you learn in one week whether the interest is genuine. Switch to weekly classes afterwards for sustained progress.
How can we try robotics for free?
Surrey Libraries’ Kids STEM Club and library maker programs are free, several providers offer a free trial class, and Scratch and micro:bit at home cost nothing and cover what many paid beginner classes teach. Many Surrey schools also run robotics clubs and FIRST LEGO League teams.
Related guides
- Kids Camps in Surrey, BC: Spring Break, Summer & Winter Break
- After-School Programs for Kids in Surrey, BC
- Best Kids Tutoring & Learning Centres in Surrey, BC
- Best Kids Art Classes & Creative Studios in Surrey, BC
- Browse tutoring and learning providers in the directory
Last updated: September 2026. Prices, ages and program formats are the providers’ own published 2026 information and change — confirm before enrolling.
