If your child loves technology, engineering, or problem-solving, a robotics club might be the perfect extracurricular activity.
A robotics club is a gathering of students who are interested in learning about and working with robots. At school, robotics clubs typically take place after school, in a classroom, and are moderated by a member of the teaching staff or school administration. At robotics competitions, teams of students must design and build a robot that can compete against opponents in a series of specific challenges.
But what exactly do students do when they join a robotics club? Here’s a closer look at some common activities students engage in:
1. Weekly Meetings & Planning
Robotics club typically begins with weekly meetings held after school, usually supervised by a teacher or school administrator. During these sessions, students plan their projects, learn important dates, discuss upcoming competitions, and set short-term and long-term goals.
Meetings often include brainstorming sessions where club members exchange ideas, develop designs, and work through challenges together. These meetings are logistical, yes, but they’re also opportunities for collaboration, creativity, and learning team dynamics.
In addition, meetings sometimes feature guest speakers, instructional videos, or mini-lessons to strengthen specific robotics or programming skills.
2. Robot Design & Engineering
One of the most engaging aspects of robotics club is the hands-on process of designing and building robots. Students work in teams to create robots capable of performing specific tasks or overcoming challenges defined by robotics competitions or club projects.
During the building phase, students might:
- Sketch robot designs and create prototypes.
- Learn mechanical and electrical engineering principles through practical application.
- Assemble structural components, motors, sensors, gears, and wheels into a functioning robot.
- Test their robot’s mechanical design and functionality, modifying and refining their robot until it meets expectations.
This process encourages students to develop critical-thinking skills, perseverance, and practical engineering know-how that goes beyond theoretical knowledge.
3. Programming & Coding Robots
Building the physical robot is just the beginning—students then move into programming their robots to perform specific tasks. Club members usually use languages and software platforms such as Python, Java, C++, Blockly, or specialized robotics programming interfaces provided by VEX Robotics or LEGO Mindstorms.
Programming tasks might include:
- Writing code to control motors, wheels, and robotic arms.
- Programming sensors (such as ultrasonic, infrared, or touch sensors) to enable autonomous or remote-controlled robot behavior.
- Debugging and troubleshooting the code to correct errors and improve robot performance.
- Learning advanced algorithms for tasks like navigation, obstacle avoidance, or object detection.
The programming component of robotics clubs helps students develop logic, computational thinking, and software engineering skills, preparing them for increasingly technology-focused careers and hobbies.
4. Robot Testing, Troubleshooting & Iteration
Testing and improving robots is an integral part of the robotics club experience. After assembling and programming their robot, students test it to identify potential problems or areas for improvement. Club members learn through trial-and-error, analyzing how their robot performs specific tasks, pinpointing issues with movement, speed, accuracy, and reliability.
Testing and iteration could involve:
- Evaluating the robot's performance against predefined goals or competition criteria.
- Collaborating as a team to diagnose problems with hardware, software, or the overall design.
- Continuously refining and modifying the robot, making incremental improvements based on testing results.
- Documenting the changes, recording performance data, and preparing for competitions by simulating competition scenarios.
This iterative cycle builds resilience, encourages patience, and develops students’ ability to think critically about technical challenges.
5. Team Collaboration, Leadership & Strategy
Robotics clubs foster essential life skills in communication, leadership, and teamwork. Students learn to effectively communicate their ideas, share responsibilities, and coordinate their efforts toward common goals.
Team-building activities include:
- Assigning specific roles such as team leader, programmer, designer, tester, or strategist.
- Collaborating on design decisions, often learning how to negotiate, compromise, and support one another’s ideas.
- Learning to manage conflict constructively and efficiently.
- Practicing competition strategies and exploring different approaches to solving challenges, ultimately enhancing the team's competitive edge.
Leadership skills cultivated in robotics clubs can transfer into numerous areas of students’ lives, from school and community involvement to future careers.
6. Practice Competitions & Challenges
Robotics clubs often host internal practice competitions or informal challenges, which help prepare students for real competitions.
During these practice sessions, students might:
- Run their robots through realistic competitive scenarios.
- Learn rules and scoring methods, giving them an understanding of what judges will look for in real competitions.
- Develop strategies for improving their robot’s performance and adaptability under pressure.
- Gain confidence in their robot, their teammates, and themselves, significantly reducing anxiety during official competitions.
These practice sessions are essential for honing competitive skills, building confidence, and creating camaraderie among club members.
Who can join a robotics club or team?
Robotics teams target students at almost every age group, starting with kindergarten and going all the way to college and post-grad programs. Same goes for those wanting to start a coding club or any other youth organization, really. Of course, the structure and objectives of these competitions vary greatly depending on the age of the student.
For instance, early education programs introduce kids to robotics and programming concepts, challenging them to start thinking like a robotics engineer by encouraging them to create solutions to fun, kid-friendly problems.
Check out this video introduction to the FIRST LEGO League, a robotics competition for kids ages 6–10.
On the other end of the spectrum are highly competitive teen and college-age programs, where students train year-round to prepare for tournaments.
When and where are meetings and events held?
Your student can participate in local, regional, national, and even international robotics competitions. Programs are held year-round, though there are competition “seasons” for some organizations. While many events are in-person, there are some online challenges available.
The benefits of joining a robotics team
Talk to any robotics team member (or their parents!) and you’ll hear tons of reasons for joining a team: from fueling students’ passions and learning professionalism to participating in a sport where everyone can turn pro, and more.
Here are some of the top benefits to gain when it comes to robotics for students, and robotics clubs and competitions, specifically.
Strengthen STEM skills
To create a competition-ready robot, students use a number of soft and hard STEM skills. Creativity and problem-solving are essential in building a 'bot that can complete obstacles. Your child will have to think outside the box and come up with creative solutions when the robot doesn’t perform as expected.
In addition, robotics competitions require a solid understanding of math, coding, and engineering. Is your student a beginner? No worries, you don’t have to be a pro to join a robotics club.
Meet friends
Hanging out with like-minded peers is always a great way to make friends and build camaraderie. Yet many students struggle to build strong friendships during their transitional middle school and high school years. If your student is passionate about tech or robotics, joining a club can be an excellent choice socially. Many students say this is their favorite part of joining a robotics club.
Nontraditional team activity
Kids and teens gain many social and psychological benefits from engaging in team sports. Yet traditional sports aren’t every child’s cup of tea, right? Robotics teams provide the same opportunity for students to build leadership experience, learn to cooperate with others, improve social interaction skills, better regulate emotions, and learn the highs and lows of competing.
Scholarships
This benefit is for both your child and your bank account. Joining a robotics club can open the door to many scholarship opportunities for your child. Many of the robotics competition organizations offer their own scholarships, and in addition, the skills your student learns will make him or her more likely to qualify for other robotics-related scholarships offered by colleges or private companies. FIRST Robotics alone boasts $30 million in scholarships available to their participants.
A few things to keep in mind
While robotics clubs have numerous benefits (much more than we’ve even outlined above), there are a few considerations you should make before jumping into a competition.
The time investment
Our kids’ schedules are already jam-packed with school, extracurriculars, sleepovers, and other occasions that require you to shuttle them around. If your student is already committed to a lot of after-school activities, you might want to nurture your child’s passion for robotics with short-term commitments, like our robotics summer camps.
Keeping tech fun
Some kids love the thrill of waiting to see how their robot will perform at the competition. For others students, these moments can bring about unwanted stress and might ultimately strip the fun and excitement out of building robots. You know your child best, so think about how they respond to judging and competition.
Just remember: some discomfort helps us all grow, so don’t be afraid of a little disappointment or adversity. Those moments could ultimately motivate your student to dream up the next world-changing robot.
Dive into robotics with iD Tech
Robotics camps can be a great way to get your child excited about this fun sport and set them up for success in the competition season. During each session, students work together to build a robot, and then learn to program it to compete in fun challenges—a great introduction to the world of robotics competitions. Be sure to check out our robot summer camps for teens and kids nationwide!
Ready for your child to reap the benefits of joining a robotics team? Check out these helpful websites to find a robotics club near you, or get started in BattleBots® or VEX robotics camp this summer.
- FIRST: Find clubs and competitions for K-12 students nationwide
- VEX Robotics Competitions: We use VEX robotics kits at camp!
- NASA Robotics Alliance Project
- Robotics at iD Tech: Build skills, gain hands-on experience, and develop a project
- Wikipedia's List of Robotics Competitions