Your child wants to build a robot. Maybe they saw one follow a line across the floor, or sort rubbish on a video, and now they want to know how it works. Then comes the parent question: can a child really learn robotics through a laptop at home?
Quick answer: Yes. In online robotics and AI classes, a teacher works with your child live, one-to-one, over video, while your child builds and codes a real robot at their own desk. At iCodejr, children spend their first weeks on the coding a robot needs, and in that time we ship the robotics kit to your home anywhere in the UAE, so there’s no waiting. From there they move on to sensors, robots that react, and AI models they train themselves. Classes run from age 5 to 18, in English or Arabic, and the first class is free.
Can kids really learn robotics online?
Yes, and in one way it suits robotics better than a classroom: the kit lives on your child’s desk, not in a centre’s cupboard, so they can keep tinkering between classes.
During a class the teacher sees your child’s code on the shared screen and the robot through the camera. When the robot turns left instead of right, they look at the code together, change one line and try again. That loop of build, test, fix is the heart of robotics, and it works just as well over video.
“Robotics is fun because children can actually see what their code is doing. And when the robot goes the wrong way, that’s when the problem-solving starts.”
— Harika E, iCodejr teacher
How does an online robotics and AI class work at iCodejr?
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Free trial class | Your child tries robotics, coding or AI with a teacher, one-to-one, and we suggest where to start for their age. |
| 2. Coding basics first | The first weeks cover the coding the robot will need: blocks for younger children, C++ for older ones. |
| 3. The kit arrives | We ship the robotics kit to your home in the UAE during those first weeks. Families outside the UAE get a link to buy a suitable kit online. |
| 4. Live one-to-one classes | 50 minutes each (40 for ages 5–6), on the days and times you choose, in English or Arabic. |
| 5. A project in every module | Each module ends with a project your child presents, and a certificate. |
| 6. Progress updates | You hear what your child has built and what comes next. |
Younger children code in Bloqi, our own block-coding environment. It runs in the browser, so there’s nothing to install, and it’s free for every child at bloqi.ai, so they can keep creating between classes.
What does my child need at home?
- A laptop or desktop with a camera and a steady internet connection. Ages 5–6 use a tablet.
- The robotics kit, if your child is on a robotics path. We ship it in the UAE.
- A desk or table with a little space to build.
That’s all. There’s no special software to buy: Bloqi runs in the browser, and older students set up their tools with their teacher in their first class.
What will my child build at each age?
Every path is one-to-one, so your child moves at their own pace. Here’s the kind of thing children make along the way:
| Age | Robotics | AI | Learning path |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5–6 | RoboPlay: a playful first module on how robots follow instructions | AI Explorers: what AI is and how it learns, through games | KG-1 learning path |
| 7–8 | Circuits with the micro:bit kit: a traffic light, a scrolling name badge, a reaction game, then a line-following robot | A gesture controller trained with machine learning | Ages 7–8 robotics and AI |
| 9–10 | Sensors and smart devices: a light sensor, a data logger, a smart robot | An image-recognition model that their robot uses | Ages 9–10 robotics and AI |
| 11–18 | C++ and Arduino: distance sensors, light-activated automation, a robotic arm, autonomous robots and connected (IoT) devices | Smart automation that reacts to sensor data | Ages 11–14 robotics and AI |
| Teens on the AI Developer track | – | Python, machine learning, computer vision, generative AI, speech and AI agents | Python, generative AI |
Older teens can stay with robotics, switch to the AI Developer track, or mix the two.
Where does the AI come in?
AI in these classes isn’t a chatbot doing your child’s homework. It’s something they train and build themselves.
Younger children teach a computer to recognise a gesture or a picture, then make their robot respond: wave and it stops, hold up a card and it turns. Along the way they learn that an AI model is only as good as the examples it’s given.
Older students on our AI Developer track write Python to build real AI projects: a model that predicts exam scores, a spam filter, an app that turns sign language into text, a chatbot and a voice assistant built on AI language models, and an AI agent that plans a study timetable. Our Grades 9–10 programme covers this in 87 sessions across 11 modules, finishing with a capstone project.
“With AI, I want students to question the answers they get, not just accept them. That’s an important habit to build early.”
— Hiba P, iCodejr teacher
Younger children try AI in kid-safe tools, such as the AI Sandbox in Bloqi, with their teacher on the call, never on an open chatbot. To go further, read our guides to AI and machine learning for kids, generative AI for kids and prompt engineering, or see the AI competitions in the UAE students can enter.
Online or in-person robotics classes: which suits your child?
| Online, one-to-one | In-person group at a centre | |
|---|---|---|
| Teacher’s attention | All of it, every class | Shared with the group |
| The kit | Your child’s own, at home, to keep building between classes | The centre’s, used during class |
| Travel | None | A drive each way |
| Pace | Set by your child | Set by the group |
| Suits | Children who want to go deep; busy weeks; families outside Dubai | Children who love building side by side with others |
Looking at centres as well? Read our parent’s guide to robotics classes for kids in Dubai and the UAE before you visit. If you’re weighing up formats for coding as well, see are online coding classes good for kids?
Should my child begin with robotics or with coding?
Robotics needs coding, so every iCodejr robotics path starts with it. The real question is what will keep your child interested.
“I wouldn’t push a child into coding just because it’s popular. If they love building things with their hands, robotics might be a much better starting point.”
— Hannan Moti, Founder and CEO, iCodejr
Still unsure? Read robotics or coding: which should your child start with? or ask the teacher at the trial class.
How much do online robotics and AI classes cost?
The first class is free, and after that you pay per class, from AED 60:
| Package | Classes | Price per class | Lasts about |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cadet | 24 | AED 75 | 3–4 months |
| Captain | 48 | AED 70 | 5–6 months |
| Colonel | 96 | AED 65 | 9–12 months |
| General | 144 | AED 60 | 18–24 months |
Ask about this season's offer before you choose
We run offers several times a year, including in winter and summer, so you may pay less than the prices above. Message us and we'll tell you what's on right now.
One credit is one class, and credits work across every course, so your child can mix robotics, coding and AI. The robotics kit is charged separately, at cost. Children with A grades or 90%+ can get 20% to 50% off their classes through our Academic Excellence Scholarship.
What do parents say?
“My son loves anything to do with robots, so this was a perfect fit. He gets so excited when he manages to make something move exactly the way he wants.”
— Nadia A., parent of Sami
“We wanted our child to understand AI rather than just use it for quick answers. The classes have been a really interesting introduction.”
— Hassan R., parent of Ibrahim
Frequently asked questions
Are there online robotics classes for kids in the UAE?
Yes. iCodejr teaches robotics live and one-to-one online to children aged 5 to 18 across all seven emirates, and ships the robotics kit to your home.
How can robotics be taught online?
Your child builds and codes a real robot at home while the teacher guides them live over video, watching the robot through the camera and the code on the shared screen.
Do we have to buy a robotics kit?
Yes, robotics needs a kit. In the UAE we ship it to your home during the first weeks, while your child learns the coding basics, and it’s charged at cost. Outside the UAE, we send you a link to buy a suitable kit online.
At what age can my child start robotics and AI?
From 5, with playful robotics and AI modules on a tablet. Hands-on electronics with the kit starts at 7.
Does my child need to know coding first?
No. Every robotics path starts with coding basics: blocks for younger children and C++ for older ones.
What’s the difference between robotics and AI classes?
Robotics is about building machines that sense and move. AI is about teaching computers to recognise patterns and make predictions. In our classes the two meet: children train AI models and use them to control their robots.
Is it safe for children to use AI in class?
Younger children use AI in kid-safe tools with their teacher on the call, never on an open chatbot. Older students learn to question what AI tells them and to check it.
Are the classes one-to-one?
Yes. Every class is one teacher and one child: 50 minutes (40 for ages 5–6), at times you choose, in English or Arabic.
Will my child get a certificate?
Yes, one for each module they complete, after a final project.
Can we try a class first?
Yes, and it can be a robotics class. Book a free trial class: your child builds a small project with a teacher, one-to-one, and we’ll suggest where to start.
Want to watch your child’s first robot move? Book a free trial class, or see all our online coding classes for kids.
