When you hear about Code Ninjas in Greenwood, you may think they offer coding classes. From JavaScript to STEM, snap circuits to racing 3-D printed cars, and summer camps to parents’ night out, they offer coding and much more! There is something to interest any kid at Code Ninjas. Coupled with their flexible class schedules, this will be a place you’ll want your kids to try!
About Code Ninjas
Code Ninjas Indianapolis is located on the south side of Indianapolis at 1259 South State Road 135, Suite B, Greenwood, 46143. It has been open for three years and sees 70-90 kids ages 5 to 14 during a typical week. Their business hours are Tuesday through Friday from 3:30–7:30 pm and Saturdays from 10 am-2 pm.
Code Ninjas is one of the fastest-growing kids’ coding franchises. This location is just one Dojo in the Code Ninjas franchise, with more than 400 locations in the United States and Canada!
Code Ninjas Core Programs
Through their three core programs, kids learn problem-solving, creativity, teamwork, and coding in the Dojo, a place where masters and students come together to practice their skills.
Code Ninjas Create
Create is Code Ninjas’ most well-known program and is the coding you may think of when you first hear about Code Ninjas. Kids build video games, debug code, and more while collaborating with peers and listening to advice from their instructors or Senseis.
Create is best for kids ages 7-14 and is designed to follow the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) Computer Science Standards. Students start with Microsoft MakeCode, block-based coding. This is the first step on the Code Ninjas’ “Path of Enlightenment.” As students progress through the path, they earn different-colored belts, like ninjas.
Parents receive weekly updates on their progress, too. When students reach the orange belt, they learn to write code in JavaScript, and they can progress further to Unity, a more advanced application, when they reach the brown belt. That is when they start to develop their own video game!
During sessions at the Dojo, students code for 45 minutes and then take a brain break for the last 15 minutes if they choose. During brain breaks, they can choose a fun educational activity, such as Connect 4, Magna-Tiles®, Spirograph, Marble Run, Chess, or building with Lego bricks. 
Create sessions take place at any time Code Ninjas is open and is completely individualized. When you walk into the Dojo, you will see a group of kids working through their Create program, and each will be doing something different!
Code Ninjas Junior
Junior is best suited for kids ages 5-7 and provides a new activity every class. The goal of these classes is to get kids interested in coding through exploratory, STEM-based, playful activities. Students are highly engaged in these classes, which are 45 minutes each week.
Code Ninja Junior starts with 15 minutes of open or active play in a group, then transitions to 15 minutes of an instructor-led lesson, and ends with 15 minutes of practice.
Every month there is a new theme for the Junior class. One month was spent in engineering; each week, they worked on different engineering disciplines- mechanical, electrical, etc. Other monthly topics include algorithms and sequencing, loops, conditionals (if, then statements), and more! Examples of recent class activities include making pixel art with graph paper, creating circuits with snap circuits, experimenting with Lego robotics, and racing 3-D printed cars.
Other tools you may see during the Junior program are Scratch Jr. and Code Spark Academy, beginner coding programs on tablets. Through the Junior program, kids can be creative and work on their problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, but they think they’re just having fun! Junior classes take place on Tuesdays at 5:30 pm or Saturdays at 1 pm.
Code Ninjas Camps
Code Ninja’s summer camps average 200-400 students. They are extremely popular, so you should book your spot early! This summer, they have 24 camp offerings.
At Code Ninja Camps, kids will explore technology, develop coding skills, and have a great time during school breaks. Most camps take place for five consecutive days, Monday through Friday, from 9 am-noon or 12:30–3:30 pm. You can also schedule a morning and afternoon session for the same week.
Kids can choose from camps such as Become a YouTuber, Code Your Own Arcade, Dojo Design and 3D Printing, Future Minds AI Academy, Intro to Web Development, Minecraft Mastery, Ninja Robotics with Lego, Stop Motion Animation, and more! A few camps are designed just for kids ages 5-7: JR Inventors Workshop, Bits and Bytes JR Explorers, and JR Adventures in Game Design.
All camps are offered at least twice starting the week of May 25.
Other Programs from Code Ninjas
The Code Ninjas’ Dojo also offers other programs, such as a parents’ night out, clubs, and birthday parties.
Parent’s Night Out at Code Ninjas
The goal of Parent’s Night Out is FUN! These allow parents to have some time to themselves, and give kids time to unwind. Parent’s Night Out is usually offered a couple of times a month for 8-14-year-olds. Parent’s Night Out occurs on Fridays from 5–8 pm or Saturdays from 2:30–5:30 pm.
Each Parent’s Night Out has a theme. On Mario Night, there was a massive Mario Kart tournament, and then kids built a track and raced 3-D-printed cars. On Battle Bots Night, kids built battle bots and fought them. At Retro Video Game Night, kids played old-school Nintendo and Atari games. On Fun Night, kids played trivia and board games.
Besides a great time, each Parents Night Out includes pizza and snacks on Fridays, and snacks on Saturdays!
Code Ninjas Clubs
Clubs take place every Thursday from 5–7 pm. There are two different club membership options, either twice a month or every Thursday during the month. Clubs are designed to be 60 percent fun and 40 percent learning.
The first and third Thursdays are always designed around the Minecraft building. The other weeks vary in topic but could include robotics, STEM, etc.
Birthday Parties at Code Ninjas
The Dojo can be rented for birthday parties and personalized to meet your child’s wishes! Parties are two hours long and include a demonstration, challenges, and open play time.
Recent party themes have included Minecraft, STEM, Mario Kart, and Roblox, but there are so many more options! For an additional fee, your party package can include pizza, cupcakes, and decorations.
Code Ninjas Offers Options for Schools and Scouts
Code Ninja programs can be brought to schools or Girl Scout or Boy Scout programs. Programs like onsite STEM building, 3D printing, Lego Robotics, and more make amazing learning opportunities for students!
Scouts can even earn their STEM badge. Pricing is based on the demonstration, the number of participants, and the distance Code Ninjas need to travel.
What Makes Code Ninjas Different?
I took two of my kids, ages 6 and 10, to Code Ninjas for a free trial session. It is amazing what kids can learn there in a short time due to the patient coaching and easy-to-understand, individualized instruction from Senseis!
My 6-year-old tried the Junior class. Within 10 minutes, he could make a dragon dance in the Scratch Jr. program. Within five more minutes, he created a circuit and then added on to it.
My 10-year-old used block coding and, in 20 minutes, made a game she called “The Ice Cream.” In it, she was an ice cream cone collecting chocolate chips while being chased by a monkey. She even designed it so she had three lives to spend!
I was also impressed with Code Ninjas’ flexible scheduling and various plans. While the Junior program meets weekly, you can choose for your child to come on a Wednesday or Saturday and sign up for just one month or more.
The Create program is even more flexible. Your child can attend up to eight one-hour sessions a month, and those classes can be any time the Dojo is open. You could come twice one week and then none the next. You can come at 4:05 pm one day or 6:20 pm another.
Get Started with Code Ninjas
Go to codeninjas.com/about and book a free session. It is amazing what your child will learn in the short amount of time you are there to try it! Click “see programs” to see upcoming camps and request more information. You can also call or text Code Ninjas Greenwood/Indy at (317) 360-9732 or email greenwoodin@codeninjas.com.
Address
1259 North State Road 135 Suite B
Greenwood
IN
Visit Making Coding Fun for Kids | Code Ninjas Greenwood