Enjoy art projects and more at Black Creativity Family Day at the Museum of Science and Industry. Photo courtesy of the museum.
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Fat Shallot has kid-friendly food near Lincoln Park Zoo. Photo courtesy of the Fat Shallot
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Visit the Thorne Rooms at the Art Institute of Chicago. Photo by Maureen Wilkey
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Free activities for kids in Chicago include the Lincoln Park Zoo, which is always free. Photo courtesy of the museum via Facebook
GUIDE
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Tiny Picassos can enjoy different activities every day at the Art Institute’s Family Room. Photo by Maureen Wilkey, for Mommy Poppins
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An offbeat Chicago museum makes a fun outing for teenagers. Photo courtesy of the WNDR Museum
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Frosty Fest is free this January in Chicago. Photo courtesy of the Gurnee Park District
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Snow tubing is a favorite winter activity in Chicago. Photo courtesy of Canva
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Enjoy a kid-friendly tube fest at Sunburst Ski Hill. Photo courtesy of Sunburst Ski Hill
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Rack up those Scout Badges at these Chicago institutions. Photo courtesy of Canva.
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Try a hands-on museum for the whole family. Photo by Kyle Flubacker courtesy of the WNDR Museum
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You can easily spend all day at Brookfield Zoo Chicago. Photo by the author
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See what swims by at the Shedd Aquarium. Beluga photo courtesy of the Illinois Tourism Board.
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Photo courtesy of Enchanted Castle.
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If your teens enjoy pottery, then MADE Chicago in Bucktown is the spot.
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Teen Saturdays at Chicago Architecture Center. Photo courtesy of the Chicago Architecture Center.
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Places to celebrate your baby before the smash cake. Photo by Kelly Patino for Mommy Poppins
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Cooking classes for kids in Chicago. Photo courtesy of The Kid's Table
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Try one of these local businesses for a fun and unique birthday party. Photo courtesy of Ultimate Ninjas
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​Launch is a Chicago trampoline park with bowling and an arcade, too. Photo courtesy of Visit Lake County
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Best Online STEM, Robotics, and Coding Classes and Camps for Kids

Code Galaxy offers fun and effective virtual coding camps and summer accelerated classes for kids and teens. Photo courtesy of Code Galaxy
Code Galaxy offers fun and effective virtual coding camps and summer accelerated classes for kids and teens. Photo courtesy of Code Galaxy
5/23/23 - By Jessica Laird

STEM summer camps and online coding classes are always popular, and virtual options mean kids and parents can really take their pick! To help narrow down the search, we've rounded up a few of our favorite online STEM classes, robotics camps, and coding camps that can be easily accessed across the country. From engaging programs that teach Python, 3D modeling, and Minecraft, to girls' camps and classes dedicated to closing the gender gap in tech, you're sure to find something to inspire your science and tech motivated kids.

Find more virtual camps and online classes in our Directory of Online Camps and Classes—plus oodles of STEM resources in our STEM Activities Guide for Kids. You can also find free coding for kids websites and apps.

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CodeWizards camps and classes engage kids of all ages. Photo courtesy of CodeWizards
CodeWizards camps and classes engage kids of all ages. Photo courtesy of CodeWizards

Online STEM, Robotics, and Coding Classes and Camps

CodeWizardsHQ

Choose from fun and effective one-week coding camps and three-week accelerated classes focused on Mincraft, Roblox, Scratch, Python, Java, and more. Virtual interactive learning in small groups, customizable projects, and highly-rated instructors make CodeWizardsHQ an engaging, memorable experience for kids and teens ages 8-18. READ MORE

Let's Learn Circuits Online Camp

Through hands-on projects, this course covers topics such as fundamentals of electricity, introduction to digital pins, introduction to Servo motor, fundamentals of Proximity Infrared Sensor (PIR), theory of RGB LED and working of DC Motor, and an introduction to Breadboard. READ MORE

KTBYTE Computer Science Academy

KTBYTE Computer Science Academy offers small group classes both online and in-person for kids ages 8-18. All programs are taught by experienced instructors, with virtual courses offered in a unique webconference setting that allows for individualized attention. Interested families can start with a free consultation and class. READ MORE

ChatGPT 5-Day Camp

Participants in the ChatGPT 5-Day Camp can expect to gain a strong foundation in artificial intelligence and machine learning, as well as practical skills in developing ChatBots using ChatGPT and JavaScript/RESTful APIs. READ MORE

iD Tech Summer STEM Camps and Classes

iD Tech Camps strike the perfect balance between STEM skill development and summer fun, allowing kids and teens to experience a week at some of the top universities in the world. Your child will learn from expert tech mentors while taking breaks in between to enjoy outdoor play. iD Tech also offers virtual private STEM classes tailored to kids' skills. READ MORE

Online MIT App Making Camp

During this 5-day bootcamp, students learn MIT App Inventor, TinyDB, ListView if else condition, concept of web-viewer, speech recognizer, text to speech, text to translate, and more. READ MORE

Girls Who Code NYC (Virtual)

Girls Who Code is a nationally recognized organization trying to close the gender gap in tech by getting girls excited about STEM. It offers two free virtual STEM summer camp options: a two-week introductory course and a six-week, learn-on-your-own-pace class. Programs are open to current high school students who identify as female or non-binary. READ MORE

Code Galaxy

Code Galaxy offers online coding classes, summer camps, private tutoring, and bootcamps for kids ages 7-18. With its staff of expert instructors, Code Galaxy guides kids through web development, game development, design, Python programming, and other STEM-related programs, using live virtual instruction. New students can start with a free trial.  READ MORE

Codingal

Codingal offers an interactive platform for students in kindergarten and up to learn coding through one-on-one online classes, as well as exciting coding competitions and hackathons. Utilizing a unique, research-based curriculum, these courses teach key skills, including problem solving and analytical and critical-thinking skills. READ MORE

Geeklama Live Online Coding School

Geeklama offers online coding classes for kids in grades K-12, developed by top engineers from CISCO, MIT, and UC Berkeley. Choose between a variety of live 16-lesson courses and self-paced, self-guided programming. Classes are available in both English and Hebrew. A free trial class is offered to new families. READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Zoom - Online
Young Gates - Kids Online Personalized Classes
iD Tech at NYU - Washington Square
Young Gates - Kids Online Personalized Classes
Various Locations
Geeklama Live Online Coding School