Is there a free trial coding class for my child?

Yes, your child’s first class is completely free with no commitment. Visit hackingtons.com/freetrial.html to book a spot.

Kids build games, apps, and websites with real AI inside.

Hackingtons after-school coding classes teach kids to integrate Claude AI into their own projects, the same way real developers build software today.

Take a free trial at a location near you

Brentwood Dublin Pleasant Hill Rocklin 🌐 Online Classes

The path from zero to AI builder

Every Hackingtons student starts with the basics and earns their way to AI. No shortcuts, no skipping steps.

Step 1

Programming Basics

Students learn how code thinks: loops, logic, events, and sequences, using Scratch's visual blocks. No typing required. Just building.

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Step 2

Typing Real Code

Students move into real syntax: Python, JavaScript, and HTML/CSS. They build games, scripts, and websites by writing actual code from scratch.

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Claude

Step 3

AI Integration

With a coding foundation in place, students learn prompt engineering as a skill, then go further, calling the Claude AI API directly from their own programs.

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🚀

The Goal

Build Real Tools

Students ship AI-powered tools they actually use: games with intelligent NPCs, apps that think, and software good enough to show the world.

No experience needed to start · No ceiling on where they can go · No shortcuts that leave gaps.

Today's developers connect apps to AI.
Your child can too.

Every serious product being built today has AI wired into it. The developers doing that aren't typing prompts; they're writing code that calls AI APIs and integrate the responses into real software. That's what we teach.

We make it safe.

🔒

Content filtered. Every message passes through a child-safety layer. Mature topics and off-topic requests are blocked before they reach the AI.

🔑

We own the connection. Kids never call Claude directly. All requests route through Hackingtons' own AI system. Students build with AI without ever holding an Anthropic API key.

Try a Free Class →

This is what an API call to Claude looks like

hello_claude.py
import anthropic
client = anthropic.Anthropic()
message = client.messages.create(
model="claude-haiku-4-5",
max_tokens=256,
messages=[{"role": "user",
"content": "Tell me a joke!"}]
)
print(message.content[0].text)

Examples of Projects with Built-In AI

An AI-powered app responds to each user differently. Instead of fixed answers, it thinks, adapts, and makes every interaction unique.

Beginner

Banana Joke Machine

A silly AI bot that only tells banana jokes. Kids learn to call the Claude API, write a system prompt, and display the response.

Intermediate

Minecraft Recipe Guide

Type any Minecraft item and the AI writes the recipe — ingredients, where to find them, and a 3×3 crafting grid rendered from structured JSON.

Trivia quiz with multiple-choice question tiles

Advanced

Shape Shifter Quiz

A Kahoot-style quiz where the user types any topic and the AI generates the questions. XP is saved in the browser — your shape gains a side every time you level up.

For Parents

What your child can build (beginner to advanced)

Example web and Python projects, organized from beginner to advanced. These represent the kinds of things students work toward in class.

🌐 Web Projects HTML · CSS · JavaScript

Beginner

Joke ButtonPress a button to display a random joke from a built-in list
Magic 8-BallClick to reveal a random mystical prediction with a CSS flip animation
Color MixerDrag RGB sliders to mix a color and see the live hex code update
Tip CalculatorEnter a bill and tip % to calculate how much each person owes
Countdown TimerSet any time, watch the animated countdown, trigger an alert
Personal HomepageA styled page with a bio, photo, and links — your corner of the internet
Guess the NumberComputer picks 1–100; get hot/cold hints until you nail it
To-Do ListAdd tasks, check them off, delete them — with smooth animations
Random Name PickerEnter a list of names and randomly pick one winner
Flashcard FlipperClick a card to flip between question and answer

Intermediate

PokédexSearch any Pokémon and display its stats, types, and sprite using the PokéAPI
Weather DashboardEnter any city to fetch real current weather via a public API
Memory Card GameFlip tiles to find matching pairs before the timer runs out
Typing Speed TestMeasure your WPM and accuracy against a timed paragraph
Drawing CanvasA paint app with color picker, brush sizes, and a clear button
Trivia QuizMulti-round quiz with score tracking and an end-of-game results screen
Budget TrackerLog income and expenses and display a running balance chart
Recipe FinderSearch by ingredient and display results as styled recipe cards
Starfield AnimationCanvas animation where stars rush toward you in simulated 3D space
Word Definition LookupType any word to fetch its dictionary definition and pronunciation

Advanced

Banana Joke MachineAn AI bot with a locked system prompt — first taste of calling the Claude API
Minecraft Recipe GuideType any item; AI returns ingredients and a 3×3 crafting grid rendered live from JSON
Shape Shifter QuizKahoot-style quiz where the AI writes the questions and XP levels up a morphing polygon
AI ChatbotMulti-turn chat with personality, message history, and a typing animation
Physics SandboxCanvas simulation with gravity, bouncing balls, and mouse-drag interaction
Pixel Art EditorGrid-based drawing tool with a color palette and export-to-PNG
Infinite RunnerSide-scrolling game with procedurally generated obstacles and high score
AI Code ExplainerPaste any code snippet; AI explains what it does in plain English
Live Data DashboardPull data from a public API and display animated, auto-refreshing charts
AI Recipe CreatorDescribe what's in your fridge; AI writes a full recipe with steps

🐍 Python Projects

Beginner

Mad LibsPrompt the user for words, then drop them into a funny story template
Rock Paper ScissorsPlay against the computer with win/loss/tie tracking over multiple rounds
Number Guessing GameComputer picks a secret number; get higher/lower clues until you find it
Simple CalculatorMenu-driven calculator for +, −, ×, ÷ that loops until the user quits
Password GeneratorBuild random passwords with options for length, numbers, and symbols
Unit ConverterConvert between miles/km, Celsius/Fahrenheit, and kg/lbs
Dice RollerRoll any number of any-sided dice and display each result and the total
Grade CalculatorEnter test scores and calculate the average, letter grade, and GPA
FizzBuzz ArtPrint number patterns, triangles, and shapes using loops and conditionals
Trivia GameMultiple-choice questions with a running score and a Game Over summary

Intermediate

HangmanFull word-guessing game with ASCII art that builds as you lose lives
BlackjackA complete card game with a shuffled deck, betting, and a dealer AI
Text AdventureA dungeon RPG with rooms, inventory, enemies, and branching story choices
Wordle CloneRecreate the word game in the terminal with color-coded letter hints
File OrganizerAutomatically sort a messy folder by moving files into subfolders by type
To-Do App with SaveCommand-line task manager that writes tasks to a file so they persist
Weather CLIFetch and display real-time weather for any city using a public API
Web ScraperPull headlines or prices from a website and export them to a CSV
Turtle Geometric ArtDraw spirographs, fractals, and star patterns using Python's Turtle library
Bank Account SimulatorOOP-based account system with deposits, withdrawals, and transaction history

Advanced

Pygame PlatformerSide-scrolling jump game with sprite animation, gravity, and tile collision
AI Chat CLIA full command-line chatbot powered by the Claude API with conversation memory
Data VisualizerRead a CSV and produce bar charts, pie charts, and trend lines with matplotlib
Image Filter AppApply grayscale, blur, and sepia filters to photos using the Pillow library
Discord BotA bot that responds to commands, tells jokes, and runs mini-games in Discord
Flask Web AppBuild a multi-page website with Python on the backend and a SQLite database
Pygame Tower DefensePlace towers to stop waves of enemies using a grid map and basic pathfinding
AI Story WriterSend a prompt to the Claude API and auto-save the generated story to a file
Sorting Algorithm VisualizerWatch bubble sort, merge sort, and quicksort animate in real time with Pygame
Database Address BookStore, search, update, and delete contacts using Python and SQLite

Life at Hackingtons

Kids love us

“Hackingtons brings people together over coding with funny and inspirational teachers...”

Celia, age 11

“I've attended many coding programs, but only Hackingtons focused on building practical applications for the real world.”

Yaroslav, age 15

Featured project

Corporate Chaos game cover built by Hackingtons Game Dev Team

Under the mentorship of Teacher Andrew, our Game Dev Team built an original Unity3D game and released it on Steam.

View on Steam

Family Events

Speed Cubing Competition

Learn to solve a Rubik’s Cube and compete for trophies

Hackingtons500 Competition

Premier West Coast Hackathon

Family Arcade Night

Play games made by kids

Pizza Gamer Nights

Games, pizza, and good vibes

Frequently asked questions

Everything parents ask before their kid's first class.

What coding classes do you offer for kids? +

Hackingtons offers after-school coding classes covering Python, JavaScript, HTML/CSS, game design, and Unity game development. Students work on real projects each week and progress through a structured belt system.

What age is good to start coding classes? +

We accept students ages 8 to 16. Most kids start between 8 and 12. Our curriculum adapts to each child's level, so beginners and more experienced coders are both welcome.

Do you offer after-school coding classes? +

Yes. Hackingtons offers after-school coding classes on weekday afternoons and Saturday mornings. Classes are 70 minutes, once per week, at in-person locations across California and online.

Is there a free trial class for my child? +

Yes, your child's first class is completely free with no commitment. Book a spot here.

What can my child build in coding class? +

Students build real things: games in Unity, websites, Python scripts, apps, and more. Every student completes projects they can show friends and family.

How are Hackingtons classes different from other kids programs? +

Hackingtons focuses on real-world coding, not just puzzles or drag-and-drop blocks. Kids write actual code in Python and JavaScript, taught by passionate instructors in small groups. The culture is fun and social, more like a gaming club than a classroom.

Where are your coding class locations? +

We have in-person locations in Brentwood, Dublin, Pleasant Hill, and Rocklin, California. We also offer live online coding classes for kids anywhere in the US.

Do you offer online coding classes for kids? +

Yes. Hackingtons Online offers live, instructor-led coding classes for kids ages 8 to 16 from anywhere in the US. Small class sizes, real-time feedback, and the same curriculum as our in-person locations.

How much do kids coding classes cost? +

$140 per month for one class per week (70 minutes per session). The first class is a free trial with no commitment.

Does my child need prior coding experience to join? +

No experience needed. Complete beginners are welcome. Our belt system means every student starts at the right level and advances at their own pace.

Free first class · No commitment