Lyza Education x NLB: Bringing Kids Coding to Life with Jellycats & Tech

At our recent coding workshop at NLB Bedok Library, Lyza Education showcased how we make coding for kids in Singapore both accessible and thrilling. We sat down with one of our expert instructors, Fairus, to get a behind-the-scenes look at the student reactions and the creative power of platforms like Scratch, Python, and MIT App Inventor.

Hi Fairus! A common question we get from parents at our Singapore coding workshops is, "Is my child too young?" Is it true that children aged from just 7 can already start learning about coding and AI?

I would say that age is just a number, and it ultimately depends on the student's interest.

Kids trying out the AI features of CodeLab

Many kids are often very excited to see our AI social robot, Kebbi. From a teacher's perspective, how does an AI robot like Kebbi help in a child's coding journey?

From a teacher's perspective, having the AI social robot Kebbi significantly enriches a child’s coding journey by turning abstract programming into a lively, social experience: its animated movements and expressive personality boost emotional and behavioral engagement, and when students see their own code bring Kebbi to life in real time, they receive immediate, concrete feedback that strengthens their understanding and motivation. Research supports this: social robots can improve children’s cognitive development and maintain high engagement through human-like interaction.

Did you know?

Lyza Education actually holds the exclusive distribution rights to Kebbi, who originally hails from Taiwan!

Kebbi a fan favourite!

Let's talk about a specific project. How was the response from students who tried Ashlyn's Apple Catching game on App Inventor?

The response from students to Ashlyn’s Apple Catching game (built on App Inventor) was positive and even inspiring: one 11‑year-old boy came back to her booth multiple times just to play her game, despite his parents calling him away, showing how powerful peer motivation can be when they realise a 10‑year-old girl made a real app. Other kids, meanwhile, were fascinated that this was not done by a teacher’s but instead, a genuine student project, and that authenticity and creativity gave the game a special, iconic appeal that really resonated with them.

Did you know?

Ashlyn was recently crowned Bronze Coder of the Term for 2025 Term 4 at Lyza Education, highlighting her consistent passion for coding and keen eye for spotting bugs in her own work.

Kids dipping their toes into coding with CodeLab

Finally, how was the response from the parents at the NLB event? What were their main takeaways?

The parents at the NLB event were pleasantly surprised, many had never realised that young children are already learning to code, and they saw firsthand how age‑friendly, block‑based programming (rather than heavy typing) makes coding truly accessible even for kids. Instead of thinking coding is just for working adults or computer whizzes, they began to appreciate that tools like Scratch or App Inventor let children pick up real programming fundamentals in a fun, low‑barrier way.

Inspired by what you saw at our NLB pop-up? Let your child experience our unique, project-based learning approach for themselves. Book a class and watch them start creating with Scratch or Python right away!