Free Coding Classes for Kids in Australia: What You Get

In short

Free coding for kids in Australia is real and worth using. Code Club Australia runs volunteer-led clubs for ages 8 to 13, the Australian Government's Digital Technologies Hub points families to after-school options, and global activities such as the Hour of Code cost nothing. Free options rarely include a regular teacher who reviews a child's work. Modern Age Coders offers a free first lesson so families can compare.

If you want more than free

Three courses families move on to

Most families start free and move to a class when a child wants more. These are the usual next steps; the free first lesson decides which one fits.

Scratch Coding for Kids course thumbnail

FCAU / 01

Scratch, start to finish

Ages 6 to 12. For children who enjoyed a club or an Hour of Code and want to build complete games.

Open the syllabus →

FCAU / 02

A full year of young coding

Ages 6 to 12. A planned year that grows from blocks into apps and some early Python.

Open the syllabus →

FCAU / 03

Typed Python, with AI on the side

Ages 9 to 12. The step from blocks to typed code, taught live with feedback every week.

Open the syllabus →

Free options

Where free coding actually happens in Australia

Four kinds of free coding are open to Australian children. They differ less in price, since all are free to the family, than in how much adult support comes with them.

Free coding options for Australian children, as their organisers describe them
Option	Who runs it	What a child gets	How often
A Code Club	Volunteers, often teachers, librarians or parents, with resources from Code Club Australia	Step-by-step projects in Scratch, Python, HTML and more, with an adult in the room	Usually weekly during term, if a club runs nearby
Self-guided projects	The child, at home, using free online project libraries	Instructions to follow and finished games or pages to show	Whenever the child chooses
One-off global activities	Schools, libraries or families, using Hour of Code or Hour of AI activities	A single hour of guided puzzles or a small AI activity	Whenever a school, library or family runs one
A free first lesson	A paid provider, such as us, before any fees start	One live lesson with a teacher and an honest course suggestion	Once

A government starting point

The Digital Technologies Hub, which describes itself as "brought to you by the Australian Government Department of Education", keeps a page for families called "After school activities and courses".

It notes that "some of these programs can be completed online in the comfort of your own home whilst some require a termly or holiday commitment", and lists Code Camp, Code Club, code.org, Grok, Hour of Code and Junior Engineers. Not every program on that list is free, so check each one before you plan around it.

A global one

The Hour of Code has run worldwide for over a decade, and its organisers now also run the Hour of AI, which, in their words, builds "on over a decade of success with the Hour of Code".

Both are designed for a single hour. They are an excellent taste of coding and a poor substitute for a year of it, which is exactly how their organisers present them.

Sources, read 7 October 2026: Digital Technologies Hub, After school activities and courses and Hour of Code, Australia page.

Code Club

Code Club Australia, in its own numbers

If a free option deserves a family's attention first, it is a club with a real adult running it. Code Club Australia is the largest network of these, and its own pages say plainly what it offers.

Code Club Australia, as described on its own website
What	In Code Club's words or figures
Who it is for	"Free coding clubs to teach digital making skills to Aussie kids aged 8-13"
Who runs a club	"a nationwide network of volunteer-led coding clubs"
How big it is in Australia	"over 165,000 Australian children and 1,300 clubs", with 3,200 trained teachers
How big it is worldwide	13,000 active clubs worldwide
What a club works from	"250+ self-guided coding projects"
What a club needs	"computers for the kids (they can share) and access to the internet"
Who backs it	It is "part of the Telstra Foundation, Telstra's registered Australian charity"

Why it works

A Code Club puts children in a room with an adult and other children, every week, for free. For a curious eight-year-old that combination is hard to beat, and the projects are written to be followed step by step.

Its yearly Moonhack event also gives children a shared goal, which many find motivating.

What to check first

Whether a club runs near you, and on a day you can make. Clubs are set up by volunteers at schools and libraries, so availability depends entirely on your area.

Whether your child is in the age band. Clubs are aimed at eight to thirteen, so younger children and teenagers may need something else.

Source, read 7 October 2026: Code Club Australia, home page and For libraries. Figures are the organisation's own and may change.

What free leaves out

What free coding usually does not include

None of this is a criticism of free options. It is simply what a family gets for nothing, and what it does not.

A teacher who knows your child

Volunteers change, clubs pause for holidays, and self-guided projects have no adult at all. A child who gets stuck often waits a week, or gives up.

A plan that builds

Free projects are usually stand-alone. Finishing twenty of them is not the same as moving, step by step, from blocks to Python to a first real app.

Feedback on their own work

Following instructions produces a working project. Explaining why it works, and changing it without instructions, is the part that needs someone to ask questions.

For many families the right answer is both: a free club or project library for fun and friendship, and a weekly class for the planned progression and the feedback. Others find free is enough for years. The point is to know which you are choosing. If you want to see what paid classes cost before deciding, our guide to coding class costs in Australia sets out the arithmetic per lesson and per term.

A rule of thumb

If your child is still asking to code after a term of free projects, the interest is real, and a teacher is likely to repay the cost. If interest fades after a few weeks, that is useful to know too, and it cost nothing to find out.

How to decide

A weighted decision matrix your child can write

Choosing between free options is a real decision with several factors, which makes it a perfect first program. A weighted decision matrix scores each option against each factor, multiplies by how much that factor matters to your family, and adds it up.

Our example scores, out of 5, for one family's view of four options
Option	Cost to the family	A regular adult giving feedback	A planned sequence	Fits the timetable	Other children to build with
A local Code Club	5	4	3	2	5
Self-guided projects at home	5	1	2	5	1
One-off Hour of Code or Hour of AI activities	5	2	1	4	3
A weekly live class	2	5	5	4	4

Two families, two sets of weights, two different winners (our arithmetic)
Option	Family A: cost matters most (weights 5, 2, 2, 3, 2; maximum 70)	Family B: feedback matters most (weights 2, 5, 4, 3, 2; maximum 80)
A local Code Club	55	58
Self-guided projects at home	48	40
One-off Hour of Code or Hour of AI activities	49	42
A weekly live class	50	69

What the numbers show

For Family A, the local Code Club wins comfortably. For Family B, who care most about regular feedback and a planned sequence, the weekly class wins. Same options, same scores, different priorities.

The scores above are our illustration, not a rating of anyone. The real value comes when your own family fills in the table.

The program

A child stores the scores as a list of lists, the weights as a list, and multiplies and adds in a loop. Ten lines of Python, or a few Scratch lists, are enough.

Then the fun part: change one weight and watch the winner change. Children discover that a decision depends on what you value, which is a lesson far bigger than coding.

Try it together

Sit down with your child, agree five factors and their weights, score each option honestly, and let the program decide. If the answer surprises you, look at which weight caused it.

Free first lesson

What our free first lesson includes, and what it does not

We offer one full lesson at no cost before any fees, because a family deserves to see how we teach before deciding. Here is exactly what that means.

The free first lesson, plainly
It includes	It does not include
A live lesson with a real teacher, at a time set for your state	An ongoing free course
Your child building a small project themselves	Any requirement to sign up afterwards
The teacher watching how your child thinks and works	A card number or payment details
An honest course suggestion, or advice that a free option suits better	Pressure to decide on the day

Sometimes the honest advice is that a child is better served, for now, by a free club and self-guided projects. We say so when it is true. Families who later want a weekly class can read how our online classes for kids work, including year levels and lesson times by state.

Stages

From free taste to real projects

A common path we see in Australian families, though every child moves at their own speed.

Four stages from a free first taste
Stage	What it looks like
1. Taste	An Hour of Code puzzle or a first Code Club project, free
2. Habit	A weekly club or a self-guided project every weekend, still free
3. Plan	A structured course with a teacher, once the interest has lasted a term
4. Own	Projects designed by the child, explained line by line, then shared

When to stay free

When your child is enjoying a club, finishing projects and not getting stuck for long, there is no reason to change anything.

Free is also the right choice while you find out whether coding is a passing interest or a lasting one.

When a teacher helps

When projects start to feel repetitive, when the child wants to make their own game rather than follow one, or when they are stuck more often than they are building.

That is usually the moment a planned sequence and weekly feedback make the biggest difference.

The catalogue

Nine courses for children moving beyond free

Arranged by age and interest. The free first lesson decides where your child joins.

I

First courses

Ages 6 to 9

FCAU / FST / 01

Scratch games course

Three months, ending with a game your child designed.

Open the syllabus

FCAU / FST / 02

One year of young coding

Blocks first, apps by the end.

Open the syllabus

FCAU / FST / 03

Vibe coding for beginners

Describe a game, build it with AI help, then fix it yourself.

Open the syllabus

II

Typed code

Ages 9 to 12

FCAU / TXT / 01

Python with small AI projects

Turtle art, quizzes and a first classifier.

Open the syllabus

FCAU / TXT / 02

Roblox games in Luau

Scripts inside a world children already know.

Open the syllabus

FCAU / TXT / 03

Making games, three ways

Scratch, Roblox and Minecraft, one after another.

Open the syllabus

III

Beyond the screen

Ages 8 to 14

FCAU / BYD / 01

Number sense for young coders

Mental maths that makes coding logic easier.

Open the syllabus

FCAU / BYD / 02

Everyday digital skills

Documents, slides and first spreadsheets.

Open the syllabus

FCAU / BYD / 03

Hackathon track for kids

One free event, then twelve weeks of building towards it.

Open the syllabus

How lessons run

What a paid class adds to a free start

The things a free option usually cannot promise are the things we build each lesson around.

Weekday afternoons

After school, in your own time zone.

Saturday

Popular with younger children.

Sunday

For families with Saturday sport.

The same teacher

Your child keeps one teacher, who remembers last week's project.

A planned sequence

Each lesson builds on the one before, towards a clear next stage.

Groups

Fifteen to twenty children close in age and ability, or one to one.

Their own work

Children build every project themselves; teachers ask questions rather than take over.

Stuck for minutes, not weeks

Help arrives in the lesson, which keeps momentum going.

Free clubs still welcome

Many of our students keep going to a Code Club too. The two fit well together.

Student work

Projects built by our students

A few things our students made after their first lessons. More of them, grouped by age, sit on our student labs page.

AI and ML

NutriLife

An AI nutrition coach that reads what you eat and works you toward a target.

by Bhavya · Open it

AI and ML

Misti

A chatbot that answers mathematics and programming questions, built and deployed by a student.

by Harshit · Open it

AI and ML

GuardianX

An assistant that helps a young person recognise unsafe situations online.

by Vivaan · Open it

Web app

SkyCast

A weather forecasting site with live conditions for any location.

by Krish

Fees

After the free lesson: fees

Families outside India pay one monthly fee in US dollars, the same in every country. Nothing is charged to join, and nothing ties you to a whole term: leaving at the end of a month is fine.

Free first class

USD 0

no card required

One full live lesson
An honest course suggestion
No card asked, no obligation

Book it

Group batch

USD 100

a month, billed in US dollars

Classes of fifteen to twenty
A familiar teacher each week
Peers close in age and level
Stop whenever a month ends

Start here

One to one

USD 150

a month, billed in US dollars

Undivided attention from a teacher
Times that fit around the school week
Pace set by your child

Enquire

What families say

Rated 4.9 across 547 Google reviews

What families wrote on Google, copied word for word and left uncorrected.

★★★★★

"The one step solution for my son. Modern Age Coders make learning coding so simple that kids love it. The teachers explain complex concepts clearly with practical exercises and interactive content."

Ria Mukherjee

Parent

★★★★★

"Modern Age Coders has been a game-changer for me. I struggled to grasp IT concepts and coding before joining, but their classes transformed everything. I can now confidently write complex programs with ease."

Samriddha Mondal

Student

★★★★★

"One of the most wonderful education centres out there. Education is not limited to school syllabus but focuses on skill development."

Vansh Agarwal

Student

★★★★★

"My child Dhairya is really enjoying the Modern Age Coders classes. This is his first online class and he eagerly looks forward to it. I can already see his improvement, and the teachers are very cooperative."

Sonam Oswal

Parent of Dhairya

★★★★★

"Modern Age Coders have wonderful teachers who teach in a clear, easy and practical way. The teacher boosts students' confidence and inspires them to learn without hesitation."

Sonu Goyal

Parent

★★★★★

"I highly recommend this computer coding class! The teachers are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about coding."

Ritu Kedia

Parent

Questions from parents

What Australian parents ask about free coding classes

Are there free coding classes for kids in Australia?

Yes. Code Club Australia runs free, volunteer-led clubs for children aged 8 to 13 at schools and libraries, many children use free self-guided project libraries at home, and the Hour of Code and Hour of AI offer free one-off activities.

What is Code Club Australia?

Code Club Australia is a national network of free, volunteer-led coding clubs for children aged 8 to 13. Volunteers use its step-by-step projects and free training, and it is part of the Telstra Foundation.

What is a weighted decision matrix?

It is a table that scores each option against several factors, multiplies each score by how much that factor matters, and adds the results, so the option with the highest total suits your priorities. It also makes a good first coding project.

How do I find a Code Club near me?

Code Club Australia's website has a "Find a club" page. Clubs are run by volunteers at schools and libraries, so whether one runs near you, and when, depends on your area.

Is a free club enough to learn to code?

For many children it is a wonderful start and enough for a long time. Children who want a planned sequence, regular feedback on their own projects, or help when stuck usually benefit from a teacher as well.

What does your free first lesson include?

One full live lesson in which your child builds a small project with a teacher, followed by an honest course suggestion. There is no card required and no obligation to continue.

Will you tell us if a free option suits our child better?

Yes. If a free club or self-guided projects are the right fit for now, the teacher will say so after the first lesson.

Can my child do Code Club and your classes at the same time?

Yes, and several of our students do. A club offers friends and fun projects; a weekly class adds a planned sequence and feedback.

Is the Hour of Code only for one hour?

Each activity is designed to take about an hour. Many children go on to try more activities afterwards, but it is built as a first taste rather than a course.

What happens after the free lesson if we continue?

Families pay one month at a time with no joining fee and no term lock-in. The fees block on this page shows the group and one-to-one options.

Elsewhere on this site

Related pages

Where to go next once you know what free does and does not cover.

Coding classes in Australia

Our main page for Australian families.

Online coding classes for kids

Year levels, school and time zones.

What coding classes cost

Per lesson and per term, in plain arithmetic.

Game development for kids

From Scratch games to a real engine.

Scratch coding classes

The usual first language.

When to start coding

Readiness signs by age.

Start here

Book the free first lesson

Tell us how to reach you and when, and we will call. Your child builds a small project with a teacher, and you get an honest view of whether a class, a free club or both suit them.

Still weighing it up? Read how a lesson runs or browse all of our courses first.

WhatsApp us · +91 91233 66161 · connect@modernagecoders.com

WhatsApp from an Australian mobile reaches us quickest. Our team works from India, so replies come from a +91 number, and we have no office or shop in Australia.

Want a class sooner? Book a priority demo

A priority demo is a full class of about 45 to 60 minutes. After the class the mentor sends a written skill report and a personal learning roadmap on WhatsApp. If you enrol, the demo fee is adjusted against your first month's fee. Share your demo Order ID with us on WhatsApp and we take it off.

Book a priority demo

Three courses families move on to

Scratch, start to finish

A full year of young coding

Typed Python, with AI on the side

Where free coding actually happens in Australia

A government starting point

A global one

Code Club Australia, in its own numbers

Why it works

What to check first

What free coding usually does not include

A teacher who knows your child

A plan that builds

Feedback on their own work

A weighted decision matrix your child can write

What the numbers show

The program

What our free first lesson includes, and what it does not

From free taste to real projects

When to stay free

When a teacher helps

Nine courses for children moving beyond free

First courses

Scratch games course

One year of young coding

Vibe coding for beginners

Typed code

Python with small AI projects

Roblox games in Luau

Making games, three ways

Beyond the screen

Number sense for young coders

Everyday digital skills

Hackathon track for kids

What a paid class adds to a free start

The same teacher

A planned sequence

Groups

Their own work

Stuck for minutes, not weeks

Free clubs still welcome

Projects built by our students

NutriLife

Misti

GuardianX

SkyCast

After the free lesson: fees

Rated 4.9 across 547 Google reviews

What Australian parents ask about free coding classes

Are there free coding classes for kids in Australia?

What is Code Club Australia?

What is a weighted decision matrix?

How do I find a Code Club near me?

Is a free club enough to learn to code?

What does your free first lesson include?

Will you tell us if a free option suits our child better?

Can my child do Code Club and your classes at the same time?

Is the Hour of Code only for one hour?

What happens after the free lesson if we continue?

Related pages

Coding classes in Australia

Online coding classes for kids

What coding classes cost

Game development for kids

Scratch coding classes

When to start coding

Book the free first lesson

Want a class sooner? Book a priority demo

Keep exploring Modern Age Coders

Related courses and guides

Learn more

Free resources

From the blog

Start here