Are Coding Classes for Kids Worth It Now That AI Can Code?

TL;DR

Coding classes for kids are still worth it now that AI can code, as long as your child wants to get good at building things. AI can give a child a simple game, but a good class teaches them to think through a problem, and that's what lets them fix what AI gets wrong. Right now, 1-on-1 lessons cost about $44 to $75 an hour and group classes about $26 to $73 per student hour. If your child only wants to make a game for fun, AI and a free tool may be enough.

When I started making games at 14 in the Warcraft III World Editor, I had nobody to teach me, so I could only go as far as the editor let me. A 14 year old today can describe a game to ChatGPT and get a simple working version back in a minute. I use AI for most of my own code now, and I've never been more productive. So I understand why a parent would look at the price of coding classes for kids and ask what the point is.

Google's keyword data shows US searches for "coding classes for kids" fell 46% in a year, while searches for "game coding classes" stayed flat. I can't prove AI is the reason, but my answer is yes, a coding class is still worth it for a child who wants to get good at building things. It isn't worth it for a child who doesn't.

Table of contents

• Can AI make a game for my child?
• What does a child still learn from coding?
• Should kids use AI while they learn to code?
• How much do coding classes for kids cost?
• Is a group class or 1-on-1 better for my child?
• When is a coding class not worth it?

Can AI make a game for my child?

Yes. Earlier this year I wrote that AI couldn't build a real game in Unity, but by October my opinion had changed. Programming is finally easy. Most of my work is done with AI, and I don't type most of my code anymore.

If your child just wants to make a game for fun, they can play around with AI and you don't need to pay anyone. That's the rule I made for adults too.

A class is for a child who wants to get good at this. AI can already make a simple game for free, so what you're paying for is what your child learns along the way.

What does a child still learn from coding?

The World Editor, the map-making tool that came with Warcraft III, let me build maps without writing code. I didn't know how to code back then, so when I wanted something it couldn't do, I was stuck. A child who only uses AI can get stuck the same way. AI keeps writing code until the game breaks or gets slow, and then your child can't tell what went wrong or whether the fix AI suggests is right.

That's why I still teach the basics, like loops, conditions and data types. They train the brain to think like a programmer. To make a coin disappear when a character touches it, a child has to break one idea into small steps and decide what happens first. A good class builds that habit.

AI won't replace a teacher, because you don't know what you don't know. A beginner can't ask AI the right questions, and if AI gives a wrong answer, how would they know? Whoever knows how to code gets more out of AI than whoever doesn't.

Should kids use AI while they learn to code?

No, not at first. My students aren't allowed to use AI at all for several months, until they develop a programming mindset. I give the same rule to anyone who is new to programming and wants to be good at it.

I would ask every class you look at what its rule on AI is. A child who pastes AI code into a project can have something that runs by the end of the hour, and it will look impressive. To see if they understand it, ask them to change one thing in it without AI.

After those first months, your child can start using AI the way I do, because now they can read what it writes and spot what's wrong.

How much do coding classes for kids cost?

Group classes cost about $26 to $73 per student hour, and 1-on-1 lessons cost about $44 to $75. Prices are hard to compare because every company sells a different bundle, and sessions run anywhere from 50 to 75 minutes. The table below converts the published prices of popular online classes to dollars per student hour. My own lessons are in it, so keep that in mind.

These are the prices published on October 31, 2026, so check them before you book. A group isn't always the cheap option. A $599 CodeWizardsHQ course works out to about $54 per student hour, close to one hour of 1-on-1 with me, though that course includes homework help and recordings. You can also pay less for a private tutor. On Wyzant, the 25 Unity tutors listed that day ran from $25 to $135 an hour, with a median of $60.

Is a group class or 1-on-1 better for my child?

It depends on whether your child is trying coding for the first time or already has a game they want to make. A group class is usually a cheaper way to find out if your child likes this at all, and some kids enjoy learning next to other kids. It follows a set course at the pace of the group, so a child with their own idea often has to wait.

When I was a kid, learning was never the difficult part. Finding the right resources and knowing what to learn next was. One teacher can follow what your child is excited about and answer the question they're stuck on before they give up. That's how I teach 1-on-1 game development lessons for kids 8 and up, in Unity or Roblox, and parents get a short note after every session.

When is a coding class not worth it?

My mom thought I played way too much, and she told me so often. What she didn't see was that I spent hours building my own maps. Most kids who play a lot are simply gamers, and that's fine. A builder plays too, but they pick the building modes and watch how games are made. I wrote more about how to tell a gamer from a builder.

If your child has never asked to make anything and the class is your idea, skip it for now. Follow what they're excited about and don't force it.

The same goes for buying a class out of worry about AI and jobs. I don't know where AI is going, and I don't trust anyone who says they do. What I do know is that job interviews still ask programming questions, because nobody wants to hire a bad programmer. So if your child talks about making games as a job one day, that's a good reason to start.