What’s Happening
What’s Happening
🖨️ Digital Fabrication: LSC MakerLab + iCode Design! 🏗️💻
Event: LSC MakerLab & Tech Design Studio When: Ongoing field trips and group bookings (Check LSC schedule for daily operation hours) Where: Liberty Science Center (222 Jersey City Blvd, Jersey City, NJ) Event link: Liberty Science Center Maker & Tech Who it’s for: Students in Grades 3–12 (Booked by groups/educators) Why we love it 💛 It is absolutely worth the trip up to Jersey City! The Liberty Science Center features a state-of-the-art "MakerLab" and Tech & Design Studio that brings technology and boundless creativity to life. Older kids and teens can jump into immersive workshops where they use professional-level 3D software (like Tinkercad and Onshape) to design innovative solutions for real-world problems. Whether they are designing medical devices for Parkinson's patients, crafting vectors for laser cutters, or programming microcontrollers, we absolutely love this lab because it perfectly bridges the gap between digital software and physical, tactile hardware! How this event aligns with iCode Princeton 🌈⚙️ If you can design it on a screen, you can engineer it in the real world! Spatial Awareness & Geometry: To design a 3D object for printing or laser cutting, you have to master the X, Y, and Z axes. In our Game Design and…
👾 Community Coding: Hackaneers Tech Club + iCode Software! 💻🚀
Event: Hackaneers – Coding & Tech Club When: Every Saturday in Spring 2026 (e.g., April 18, April 25, May 2), 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM (Registration Preferred, Drop-ins Welcome!) Where: Long Hill Township Library (917 Valley Rd, Gillette, NJ) Event link: Long Hill Township Library Events Who it’s for: Kids in Grades 3–8 Why we love it 💛 Coding is meant to be a team sport! The Long Hill Township Library hosts an incredibly fun, ongoing Saturday "Hackaneers Coding Club" designed specifically for elementary and middle school students. Guided by experienced high school coding mentors, kids dive into hands-on projects using Scratch, Python, and robotics. We absolutely love community-driven coding clubs like this because they remove the isolation from programming. By turning what is usually a solo activity into a highly social and collaborative afternoon, kids learn how to problem-solve and build digital games together! How this event aligns with iCode Princeton 🌈⚙️ Collaborating on code is the exact foundation of professional software development! The Agile Methodology: In the tech industry, no one builds an app entirely by themselves. In our iCode Hub Programs, we require our students to use the "Agile" framework to build their original games. They learn…
🤖 Build and Code: LEGO Robotics + iCode Hardware! ⚙️💻
Event: LEGO Robotics When: Sunday, April 19, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM (Recurring Event; Registration Required!) Where: Verona Public Library (17 Gould St, Verona, NJ) Event link: Verona Public Library Events Who it’s for: Kids in Grades 1–3 Why we love it 💛 If you don't mind taking a drive up to North Jersey, the Verona Public Library is hosting an incredibly popular, bi-weekly LEGO Robotics program! This dedicated afternoon workshop challenges early elementary students to work together to create simple, functional robots using specialized LEGO kits. Kids will learn foundational building skills, creative problem-solving, and an introduction to early coding in a playful, supportive environment. We absolutely love hands-on library programs like this because they show young learners that engineering isn't just about screens—it’s about creating dynamic, physical machines that interact with the real world! How this event aligns with iCode Princeton 🌈⚙️ Building a robot that follows commands requires the exact same logic we teach in our introductory labs! Sensors and Automation: To complete a robotics challenge, a machine has to be able to follow code! In our Robotics and Hardware Tracks, students take these early LEGO skills to the next level, learning how to program advanced…
⚙️ Mechanical Engineering: LEGO Technic Makerspace + iCode Hardware! 🤖💻
Event: Makerspace Open Hours - LEGO® Technic Enthusiasts When: 1st & 4th Saturdays starting May 2026 (Next session: Saturday, May 2, 2026), 10:30 AM (No Registration Required!) Where: Plainsboro Public Library – Makerspace (9 Van Doren, Plainsboro, NJ) Event link: Plainsboro Library Makerspace Who it’s for: Kids Ages 8+ Why we love it 💛 Just a short drive over in Plainsboro, the public library is hosting some incredible open hours in their dedicated Makerspace! Starting this May, every 1st and 4th Saturday morning is entirely dedicated to "LEGO Technic Enthusiasts." Kids ages 8 and up are invited to drop into the lab to design, build, and experiment with advanced moving parts, axles, and mechanical engineering challenges—or even take on the challenge of building their own robot. We absolutely love dedicated makerspaces like this because they give kids the total freedom to experiment, fail, and rebuild in a highly collaborative, hands-on environment! How this event aligns with iCode Princeton 🌈⚙️ Building with LEGO Technic is the exact bridge between basic blocks and real-world robotics! Mechanical Engineering: Regular LEGOs are great for architecture, but Technic introduces gears, levers, and pins. In our VEX Robotics Tracks, students use this exact same mechanical logic…
🦎 Nature’s Algorithms: eSTEAM Camouflage + iCode Logic! 🌿💻
Event: Kids: eSTEAM Club: Animal Camouflage When: Monday, May 18, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Registration opens May 8) Where: Princeton Public Library – Myra & Van Williams Spark Lab (65 Witherspoon St, Princeton, NJ) Event link: Princeton Public Library Events Who it’s for: Kids in Grades 1–4 Why we love it 💛 Nature has some of the coolest built-in technology on the planet! The Princeton Public Library is hosting an awesome "eSTEAM Club" session right in their high-tech Spark Lab, entirely focused on the science of animal camouflage. Guided by the incredible high school mentors from Princeton High School's eSTEAM team, young students will learn exactly how animals use camouflage to survive in the wild and then create their own camouflaged creature! We absolutely love biology-based STEM events like this because they show young kids that science isn't just about robots and circuits—it’s also about understanding the brilliant, adaptive designs found in nature! How this event aligns with iCode Princeton 🌈⚙️ Studying how animals adapt to their environment is the perfect foundation for algorithmic thinking and logic! Conditionals (If/Then Statements): Animal camouflage is a real-world example of conditional logic! IF an animal is in the snow, THEN its…
🧩 Logic & Syntax: Coding with Byte Budz + iCode Junior! 👾💻
Event: Kids: Coding with Byte Budz When: Thursday, May 7, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Registration opens April 30) Where: Princeton Public Library – Myra & Van Williams Spark Lab (65 Witherspoon St, Princeton, NJ) Event link: Princeton Public Library Events Who it’s for: Kids in Grades 1–3 Why we love it 💛 It is never too early to start learning the language of the future! The Princeton Public Library is hosting a fantastic afternoon workshop specifically designed for early elementary students. Guided by the incredible teen coders from "Byte Budz," young kids will be introduced to the absolute basics of block coding through highly interactive lessons and digital activities. We absolutely love introductory events like this because they take the intimidation out of computer science, allowing kids to learn foundational programming logic in a fun, low-pressure environment with excellent near-peer mentorship! How this event aligns with iCode Princeton 🌈⚙️ Understanding how to snap digital blocks together is the very first step toward writing complex algorithms! Block-Based Coding: The concept of visual, puzzle-piece coding is the exact foundation we use to teach early programming! In our STEAM Junior Programs, we use this same block-based framework, ensuring kids understand the…
🌍 Eco-Engineering: Earth Day STEAM + iCode Systems! 🌱💻
Event: School-age STEAM - Earth Day When: Monday, April 20, 2026, 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM (Registration opens April 13) Where: Mercer County Library – Hickory Corner Branch (Children's Activity Room) Event link: Mercer County Library Events Who it’s for: Kids Ages 5–10 (Grades K–5) Why we love it 💛 Earth Day is right around the corner, and the Hickory Corner Branch is celebrating with a fantastic, eco-themed STEAM session! Designed specifically for elementary students, this hands-on program dives into science, technology, engineering, art, and math with a special focus on our environment. We absolutely love themed events like this because they take high-level science and ground it in something kids can physically see and appreciate: the nature right outside their window! How this event aligns with iCode Princeton 🌈⚙️ Protecting the planet requires a flawless understanding of complex systems! Systems Thinking: An ecosystem relies on hundreds of complex variables—like weather, plant life, and soil—working perfectly together. In our STEAM Junior and Hub Programs, we teach kids how to apply this exact same systems-based logic to technology! They learn how different digital variables, physical hardware, and networks must all sync up to make a computer program function without crashing. Tech…
🪵 Precision Engineering: Teen Wood Engraving + iCode Hardware! 🛠️💻
Event: Teens: Wood Engraving (A National Library Week Program) When: Wednesday, April 22, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Registration opens April 9th) Where: Princeton Public Library – Myra & Van Williams Spark Lab (65 Witherspoon St, Princeton, NJ) Event link: Princeton Public Library Events Who it’s for: Teens Why we love it 💛 The maker movement is all about blending traditional crafts with modern tools! As part of a community-wide celebration of National Library Week and the 100th anniversary of A.A. Milne's "Winnie-the-Pooh," the Princeton Public Library is opening its high-tech Spark Lab to teens for an incredible wood engraving session. Participants will get to use specialized wood engraving pens to create their own custom scenes from the "Hundred Acre Wood." We absolutely love maker-space events like this because they encourage teens to step away from the screens and focus on tactile precision, patience, and physical craftsmanship! How this event aligns with iCode Princeton 🌈⚙️ Physical precision is the exact foundation required for advanced hardware engineering! Hardware & Tool Mastery: Learning how to safely and precisely operate an engraving pen translates directly to using advanced maker tools like 3D printers, laser cutters, and soldering irons. In our Hardware and…
🧸 Storytelling & Imagination: Teddy Bear Picnic + iCode Junior! 🍯💻
Event: Kids: Teddy Bear Picnic (A National Library Week Program) When: Wednesday, April 22, 2026, 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM (No Registration Required!) Where: Princeton Public Library – Community Room (65 Witherspoon St, Princeton, NJ) Event link: Princeton Public Library Events Who it’s for: Kids ages 2–5 (with an adult caregiver) Why we love it 💛 It is picnic time in the Hundred Acre Wood! To celebrate National Library Week, the Princeton Public Library is hosting an incredibly sweet, Winnie-the-Pooh-themed "Teddy Bear Picnic." Early learners are encouraged to bring their absolute favorite stuffed animal or teddy bear for a special storytime, a hands-on craft, and a live appearance by Winnie-the-Pooh himself! We absolutely love early childhood events like this because they encourage deep, imaginative play, helping toddlers connect physical objects (like their teddy bear) to the imaginative narratives they hear during the story. How this event aligns with iCode Princeton 🌈⚙️ Imaginative storytelling is the exact foundation of video game design! Creative Narratives: In order to build a great game or app, you have to know how to tell a story! When toddlers participate in themed storytimes and crafts, they are building early narrative skills. In our Game Design and…
🧱 Tactile Engineering: Tinker Tuesday LEGOs + iCode Robotics! 🛠️💻
Event: Kids: Tinker Tuesday: Lego When: Tuesday, May 5, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Drop-in / No Registration Required) Where: Princeton Public Library – Myra & Van Williams Spark Lab (65 Witherspoon St, Princeton, NJ) Event link: Princeton Public Library Events Who it’s for: Kids in Grades 3–5 Why we love it 💛 Every incredible piece of real-world architecture and engineering starts with a simple plastic brick! The Princeton Public Library is opening up its high-tech Spark Lab for an amazing, hands-on "Tinker Tuesday" session dedicated entirely to LEGO building. Upper elementary students are invited to drop in and collaborate with their peers to explore, design, create, and problem-solve through physical construction. We absolutely love unstructured building events like this because they give young kids the total freedom to explore load-bearing shapes, spatial awareness, and creative design at their own pace without the pressure of a graded curriculum! How this event aligns with iCode Princeton 🌈⚙️ Snapping physical LEGO bricks together is the exact foundation for advanced robotics and software engineering! Structural Hardware: Before you can automate a machine, you need to understand how pieces physically fit together to bear weight and create movement! When kids build a LEGO…
