SHORT REVIEW: FIVE STARS This is our second "semester" with Robofun and it is a great haven for children where they learn many skills for their future. LONGER REVIEW: I recently attended a tech event which focused on the future of AI and Big Data. When someone asked a big data person from IBM: "What are the important skills that children need today?" he replied: "Empathy, Teamwork, Aesthetics and Creativity" These are all of the things that Robofun provides for my daughter. At first glance it looks like the kids are just having fun but the work that the children do teaches them skills that they can apply to their future selves. The founder, Laura Hart, is a graduate of Harvard Graduate School of Education and she genuinely cares about children and what's best for them. She's also a nice person so naturally her staff and teachers are great at what they do. They care for the kids and teach them skills in a way that helps build the children's confidence and create really unique projects. I usually get pretty bored at summer camp presentations but at RoboFun, when the children presented their work, I was so impressed with the robots they created where they coded, how some composed music, how they worked closely with their teammates, and proudly presented their projects. This is an excellent learning environment for my children and they cannot wait to attend every day! FIVE STARS read more

Our 8 year old son has been going to Robofun for a couple of years now and absolutely loves it. The kids are getting real hands on experience with coding and robotics, and the staff is friendly and dedicated. Would highly recommend! read more

The Minecraft course is fantastic and I'd recommend that all you gamers try it out! And for the parents it supports nonviolence so the kids can just focus on creating! And mr mark is such a good, kid friendly teacher. My kid says he is really nice and kind. read more

My 6-year-old started taking week-long summer classes here recently and always comes out energized. He seems to like the different instructors he's worked with so far and clearly gets plenty of individual attention. Noah runs a tight ship and is alway on-hand if you have questions, etc. Also, we happen to live on the UES, but the school (on West End Ave.) is surprisingly easy to get to via the M66 or the M57 buses. I expect we will continue to take after-school classes here in the fall. All in all, I highly recommend. read more

Robofun is my 7yo son's home away from home. He loves going to Robofun! we have been taking courses with them for two and a half years now. We started with summer camp, and is now our afterschool activity twice a week. my son has taken animation courses, robo lego, Minecraft and intro to robotics. He always goes happy and has had consistently good experience. my son has a learning disability (similar to dislexia) and is also an anxious kid, and the staff at Robofun have been amazing working with him, accommodating his needs, and providing the necessary support so that he can accomplish the projects and feel integrated. My son has fond his community, and we will continue to return and see him grow. I wholeheartedly recommend Robofun as a great enrichment option. read more

Our son loved Robofun summer camp. He was always excited to tell us what he learned and the themes. It is also great for his fine motor skills. As a parent, I liked the flexibility week to week and the price was reasonable. read more

My son enjoys the Lego robotics drop-in sessions for school holidays at Robofun. It's interesting for him to build the set and then use Scratch to control it. I wouldn't recommend the Scratch class alone--combining these two skills (building and programming) is a great way for them to learn cause and effect and see something tangible emerge from the beginning of class to the end of class. I'm glad Robofun joined the two experiences into one session. read more

I was introduced to Robofun when I saw a sign in our neighborhood indicating that they were opening on the upper west side. Since I was part of my daugher's elementary STEM committee, I asked their director to volunteer a few staff members to showcase their work on Saturday Stem Day at my daughter's elementary school. The staff was committed, showed up on time, and engaged with the children. Since it was a great experience working with them, I sent both my daughters (5 and 7 years old) to Robofun camp this summer. Originally we only signed up for two weeks but my daughters enjoyed it so much that we extended another week. They learned how to code (ie using scratch), built robots and learned mindcraft. On Fridays, my children showcased their work to me and my husband which was helpful to see what they have learned and built. The staff was very friendly and helpful to my children, who were beginners at coding. The coaches gave me feedback on what the kids did, what they were building, and interactions with other kids (ie friendships they were making in class). We had a really good experience there and will be back for more classes. I am glad that we have a Stem education program in our neighborhood! read more

Every summer my daughter has the best learning and fun robocamp! Super friendly staff

Review for Online Coding & Game Design Class Grades 1-2 with Ian Ouelette Noah at Robofun lied to me, misled me and the class was a horrible experience. Imagine you're 7 years old, a super excited child at 10:30 in the morning on a day off from school, amped to learn how to 'design games' only to be greeted by 45 minutes of LoFi mono-drone coming from an unsmiling stranger's floating face completely enshrouded in a creepy black virtual background, disinterestedly staring back at you - then again, imagine you're 7 years old. Disclaimer, we made it through 45m of the class, not finishing the full 1.5hrs. My nephew was waitlisted for an online Veteran's Day class. Noah told me the class was full but we could be placed in a private online lesson - at the same time...! Confused on how a 5-child online class is too 'full' to add a 6th kid but ANOTHER teacher could be paid to teach a private lesson at the same time as that class? Right, it was a lie. But I was too desperate to argue and TOTALLY regret it. Noah later admitted they didn't have online classes with other children currently available, only in-person classes. I didn't love the idea of 1.5hrs of 1:1 with a stranger having never taken a class through Robofun before, but figured they would have an EXPERIENCED, FUN CHILD INSTRUCTOR with interesting content so I gave it a shot. Absolutely none of those things happened. The instructor, Ian, (whose voice and energy level my mother described as Ben Stein-worthy and I described as Colin Robinson from WWDITS) wasn't rude, his pace wasn't TOO bad for 6/7s, was patient and stopped for questions. However, he was also clearly disinterested in being there, didn't care about providing an experience nor instructing my nephew, didn't smile, wasn't engaging and droned on without intention. He actually sapped all the enthusiasm we had for the experience, nothing about how he presented himself was kid-friendly or appropriate at all. Additionally the content was boring to my nephew. The class used Scratch so he occupied himself creating multi-color, bat-dragon-cat sprite hybrids, switching backgrounds and adding text and at first tolerated it. However, ten minutes in, and even I was looking for an out. I just couldn't with the monotone, but I still goaded my nephew to continue, however after 45mins I pulled the plug. Other issues: -some terms/concepts threw my nephew, like x and y coordinates, ('he knows x, y right?' Ummm no, dude! he got the gist, but he just turned 7!) -asking parents to register for Scratch ahead of class would have made sense instead of leaving me scrambling to do this DURING class -had to ask for a break, NONE scheduled, it's a 1.5hr class for 6/7s, 20 minute intervals is common sense! I got my money back, but both Nosh and Ian left a bad taste, read other reviews you have been warned! read more

Celebrated my son's 6th birthday at Robofun. Kids had a fantastic time. Robofun team was incredibly helpful. They paid attention to every kid to ensure everyone was having a great time. Special thanks to Noah for his help. read more

Our daughter has loved her classes with Robofun. Noah was such a good teacher! Patient, kind and was able to get our child engaged and excited about coding. I would recommend Robofun! read more

My twelve-year-old son continues to enjoy RoboFun- Lego robotics, MineCraft, and more. The staff are caring, upbeat, knowledgeable and patient, and foster a warm, inclusive and child-centered learning environment. I've recommended RoboFun to several families and celebrated birthday parties there, too. We appreciate this gem of a place in our community! read more

We love Robofun. My son, Sawyer, has been taking classes there since he was three and we just had his 6th birthday party there. Really liked the party host, Jack, who worked really well with the children. My son said he wants to have his party there again next year, too. read more

My son has been attending Robofun for almost a year and it is the go to spot for holiday camps. I am so happy that he can still learn during holidays and school breaks. His favorite is minecraft. They always have a new adventure they embark on in minecraft and skills they improve upon. When I ask him how was his day at robofun it is always without fail-"Great, I had so much fun we built......". A million thumbs up lol. read more

robofun is the best! my son has participated in spike robotics, Minecraft and Circuits and programming classes there for several years (at the old location and the new one on West End Ave). its the best use of my sons time when he has school breaks because he's learning new things and gains knowledge that he brings home w him. he's really into robotics and PCs and at Robofun he can explore these hobbies in an organized way. everything from the thoughtful and kind staff to the renovated location and organized curriculum make me feel confident he's in a safe place and having lots of fun! read more

Great place for kids, the teachers are amazing and the owner is very involved in the success of the kids. Our son loves going there and can't wait to spend more time building robots. They use the Lego robots which come in different tiers and raises the skill level as the child grows. Plus kids get to learn first-hand programming skills, logic and how to build complicated robots step by step. It teaches login and critical reasoning - lacking in many kids programs. Our son has now moved to EV3 Robots after learning the skills sets on simpler robots and can programs things. These robot sets are not cheap ($300 - $600) so obviously you can't take them home, but once he is experienced with programming the robots - we will buy him one for home. Teachers give individual time to each student as kids have different skill sets. They have the patience and experience to sit thru hours of programming on hardware or PC - something that would be hard for any parent. But for us the commitment and responsiveness from the Owner (Laura) was most important. She was available anytime on the phone, including weekends, to resolve any issues or questions we had or provide flexibility for classes. We would be coming back for more classes at Robofun! read more

Laura Hart and her staff have high educational standards for RoboFun. Children learn basic Robotic building and programming skills and experiment with their individual creative ideas. There's serious collaboration as well as whimsy. So much fun as robots move through mazes, twirl their arms about and beep a tune when they are done. Your child will use important problem solving skills s/he brought and leave with those skills honed. read more

Stay away. Totally not a child friendly staff and the person running the show seems a bit out of touch with the fun aspect of things read more

Robofun - Specialty Schools Near Me - New York, New York

I'd heard good things about Robofun--a place that teaches kids about robotics and video game design--and it seemed right up my son's alley. So I signed him up for a spring break camp there. He had a blast. He got to build a "fighter robot" using some kind of special lego kit. And he designed his own video game using Scratch, a free program they teach the kids how to use. I think it's excellent they are getting these little kids excited about computer programming! I was so impressed by the staff. To a person, they were friendly and warm. And it seemed like they really took their jobs seriously. The only downside is the cost. A week of spring break camp there cost over $200 more than I would have paid at his usual place (which is also excellent). Given the materials they work with (computers and robotics parts) and the staff (they seemed very knowledgable AND good with kids), it may be that they just need to charge a lot to cover expenses. I definitely couldn't afford to sign the kids up for camp here regularly, but for a rare treat it is so much fun. I found myself wishing I could go to camp there! read more

fantastic place to have a birthday party. everything was taken care of. great instructors, clean and beautiful space and the kids were engaged from start to end. highly recommend them for your next birthday party, afterschool or camp. read more

Camp for a 10 year old! We did a half day camp here because we had already had done a session with another outfit. I chose Robofun because I wanted my son to use the latest technology for children. He ran in every day and didn't even bother to say good bye. People are super friendly and would definitely come again. As for the reviewer who wondering about preschool and taking projects home.......never heard of a robotics place that lets the children take anything home. read more

My son and his friend had a great time. They did a lego robotics class and always want to go back. The teachers were engaged and the kids had a great day (this review is for one of the day camps). Would definitely use again. read more

I visited Robofun during the open house with My 9.5 y.o boy and 6.5 y.o girl, thinking we will stay there for an hour and move one. Well, two hours later I had to convince my kids to leave and ended up making a LED card my self... They both LOVED it! great activities for boys and girls, very creative and all the instructors were nice and patient. I signed up my son for president week camp, he had a blast! What a fantastic place! I wish I had such place to go to when I was a kid! read more

lf you have a preschooler who likes Lego, under NO circumstances should you go here. Here's what you get: A one-hour class for young kids lets them build a simple Lego robot (following instructions their parents must hurriedly help them through to finish up in an hour) with provided parts (except not all parts are provided), then play with it for five minutes, and then the kids are quickly sent home WITHOUT THE ROBOT. Really? Did we actually just pay $40 to walk our kids through a maze of instructions, then not have the robot we made? Later we checked the website -- yes, in small print at the bottom of the page it is mentioned that the creations don't come home. Clearly this information is hidden because everyone there expected to bring a robot home. This is plainly negligent on the part of "RoboFun". The class really ends with 10 preschoolers upset that they don't have a robot and 10 parents trying desperately to explain it to them. Please do not support this business. read more

At $40 a class this place is a joke! Colorful ikea furniture and a blue rug doesn't make up for the lack of legos. My 4 year old has more legos in his room than this place offered for a group of kids. They have only one lego table! The robots are built by child and parent using a blueprint and small legos they then attach a battery and get the things moving. #1 the robots hardly look like robots. #2 $120 for 3 sessions and your child goes home with nothing but memories! Save some $$ and go buy your own supplies and do it at home. read more

I have 7 and 11 year old boys that love Robofun! They have enjoyed learning how to construct robots out of legos and the programming camp. They are enthusiastic to go and learn a bunch! The teachers are great and the facility is right off the1 train and Super easy to get to. We have tried the after school programs and camps and had a lot of fun with both. As a parent, I love the problem solving skills they have developed from the program. Happy kids. Happy parents. read more

My son had an amazing time. He really enjoyed working with the Minecraft teacher. Overall, the staff was professional and the place looked great. read more

RoboFun teaches computer programming and lego mindstorms robotics to kids of all ages. My 6 year old is so thrilled to go see John each week and build cool new Lego stuff - last week he built a motorized windmill. My 9 year old takes Scratch programming with them. They really know how to ignite interest and guid ehte kids through their own creative process of making video games or animations. This place is by far the best edu-tainment for kids on the upper west side. 5 thumbs up. read more

I highly recommend RoboFun camp and all the programs they have to offer. My son is 5 years old and very bright. He has always been good at building Legos and Duplos and found the activities and building programs very exciting. Our son had never been in a group setting before with other kids as he was born without a functional immune system and had spent much of his life in hospitals and isolation. Following a bone marrow transplant last summer, the doctors finally gave him permission to be around other kids. The RoboFun camp was his first exposure and experience with other kids and he (and us) were very nervous. The staff and teachers made him feel so comfortable and welcoming and the small groups setting and one-on-one child interaction was such a great and positive first experience for him. By the end of the first day, our son already asked if he can do the second week and we are now in the middle of our third week of camp. The models the kids built and the whole educational curriculum design by RoboFun are amazing, and the kids get to learn so much and are so proud of their work by the end of the week when they present it to the adults. If I could I would give Robofun and their staff 10 stars!! read more

So great with kids!! My 6 year old daughter wasn't sure how she felt about legos and now she loves them, wants to build at home and wants to do another session of the robotics class. As a parent, I organized with Robofun a class just for kids at our school, and they worked with our schedule and it ended up being a perfect after school activity. read more

I really wish I could give this place a better rating. Love the idea of a STEM program but they are NOT experts in early childhood education or how to work with kids at all so I give them an F. #1 - no program schedule provided, communication with parents in nil to none #2 - no compassion - I saw them leave one child crying in the waiting area on her own without any staff member consoling her for at least 20 minutes, wish I could have called her parents myself #3 - staff members? seems like they hired the cheapest labor they could find off the street who cared little about children as "assistants." I highly doubt they did a background check or any interview process as when I watched them supervising "open play" the standard seemed to be children breathing = yes, then i'll sit on my a#$#$ #4 - dropping 20 kids into a room with a few boxes of legos is not educational, it is lord of the flies. I can't believe anyone pays for this #5 - I pulled my child out after day 1 because it was completely lacking in any standards of child care or educational value. I also reported them to 311 because it seems very unsafe environment read more

My three kids have attended Robofun classes for the past six years. The instructors are enthusiastic, and the programs are well run. We use Legos a lot at home, but there's nothing like bringing them to life. This is also true for the Scratch programming classes; learning how to create a video game has excellent educational implications. Both the robotics and the programming are creative experiences that make for fun and challenging classes at Robofun. read more

My son loves it here! He had a blast learning binary coding and taught it to our whole family that night. He laughs all day long because the teachers are fun, smart and friendly. He didn't bring home the EV3 robot, but I was fine with that because he came home with a love of science, technology and team work. read more

This was the best week of the summer for us. My son was excited to get to camp every day and couldn't stop talking about his Lego WeDo and Scratch programs every night. We did the after school pre-robo last year (when he was in K) and will certainly be back for more WeDo this fall. read more