Robotics for Kids in Melbourne
Hands-on robotics and engineering programs for kids aged 6–16, designed and taught by engineers.
Real engineering, made for kids
EBK Academy (Engineers Building Knowledge) runs hands-on robotics and engineering programs for kids across Melbourne. Instead of watching screens, kids build real working machines — robotic arms, self-driving cars, electronic games — and take them home.
Every program is designed and taught by engineers, so kids don't just follow instructions: they learn how engineers think, test and solve problems.
What kids learn, by age
Ages 6–8
Young builders start with guided, hands-on projects that make engineering feel like play. They learn how things move, fit together and power up — following step-by-step builds with an instructor beside them. The goal at this age is confidence: finishing a real working model they made themselves.
Ages 9–12
Kids take on proper engineering challenges: mechanisms, sensors, hydraulics and introductory coding. They learn to plan a build, test it, figure out why something didn't work and fix it — the same loop real engineers use. Projects like the Mystic 8-Ball and Hydraulic Robotic Arm sit in this band.
Ages 13–16
Teens move into more advanced territory: Arduino programming, electronics, and autonomous systems like our self-driving robot car. These projects build genuine technical skills — reading sensor data, writing control logic, debugging hardware — that carry into high-school STEM subjects and beyond.
Projects kids build
Our projects are real engineering builds, each with a recommended age range. Here are some of the current projects:
Rebellious Box (ages 10-15)
Students explore the fundamentals of circuits and motor control by building a machine with a surprising personality that fights back to turn itself off!
Amusement Park Engineer - Bucking Bull (ages 8-15)
Students become amusement park engineers as they design and build their own Bucking Bull ride. Along the way, they will explore the fundamentals of mechanical motion and motor control, discovering how gears, linkages, and a DC motor work together to bring their creation to life.
Mystic 8-Ball (ages 10-15)
A modern take on the classic Magic 8-Ball! Students build and code their own interactive fortune teller using an Arduino and OLED screen. At the press of a button, it can predict dinner, weekend plans, study topics, and more. Best of all, students can customise the responses and make it uniquely their own.
Autonomous Robot Car (ages 12-15)
A hands-on STEM project where students design, build, and program an Arduino-powered robot capable of driving around and avoiding obstacles autonomously. From assembling the physical chassis and wiring power distribution systems to coding motor drivers and ultrasonic distance sensors, students experience authentic engineering design while bringing their custom robot to life.
Hydraulic Robotic Arm (ages 10+)
Build a fully articulated robotic arm powered entirely by hydraulics — no motors, no electronics. Using nothing but syringes, tubing, and liquid, students construct a multi-jointed arm and discover how fluid pressure can lift, push, and grip. A hands-on introduction to fluid power and mechanical motion that students build and take home.
Browse every project in detail on our projects page.
Ways to get involved
School holiday programs
Multi-day programs at venues across Melbourne during the school holidays. Kids build a complete project and take it home.
Browse holiday programsAfter-school programs
Weekly robotics sessions during term time, building skills project by project.
See after-school programsPrograms for schools
Curriculum-aligned incursions and learning pathways we run directly with schools.
For schoolsRobotics kits
Take-home kits built from our program projects, so kids can keep building at home.
Shop kitsParent FAQs
Ready to get your child building?
See what's running these school holidays at a venue near you.