Why Bebras could belong in your Code Club

Some creators love a puzzle, so sometimes, a timed computational thinking challenge like Bebras can be just right for a Code Club.

One Code Club mentor from Cranmere Primary School, Surrey, UK wondered how the UK Bebras Challenge would fit into his fun and informal club. After giving it a try, the club discovered how much their creators loved tackling the puzzles — and how naturally Bebras fitted into the Code Club experience.

Richard shares why Bebras worked well in his club.

“They loved Bebras”

“My club is always quite chaotic. Although it takes place in a school, it doesn’t feel like a class or a formal lesson.

“That’s why I wasn’t sure if it would be a good place to run the Bebras Challenge, even though I’d tried some of the puzzles myself and really enjoyed them. It sounded a bit too formal for my Code Club.”

Richard decided to test the idea by launching a separate Bebras Puzzle Club with the school’s computing lead. Some Code Club regulars joined, alongside plenty of new faces.

During the first few sessions, the young people explored practice puzzles from previous challenges. They could try them freely or tackle them as timed activities.

“Timed test? That definitely sounds like school rather than a fun club, I thought. That’s not what the youngsters thought. They loved Bebras.”

“Many were going home and blasting through the other practice questions with such gusto that we worried we wouldn’t have enough left for them to do in the club. Even during the week of the Bebras challenge, their enthusiasm was undiminished, and there were groans of disappointment when we said that was the end of the club.”

Fortunately, the Raspberry Pi Foundation also offers a free follow-on Raspberry Pi Foundation Coding Challenge for groups who completed the UK Bebras Challenge, so Richard’s club members were not disappointed for long. 

“The biggest sign of the group’s enthusiasm came on the day of the Raspberry Pi Foundation Coding Challenge. The Year 6 participants had spent the day on a school trip to London. Their train home was delayed, and they then had to walk back to school through a hailstorm.

When they arrived, they were weary and bedraggled. I told them there wasn’t enough time to take the challenge, so they could quietly work with Scratch instead. They were crestfallen.

“With some quick help from the office, we arranged for them to stay later. They all happily sat down, logged on, and got stuck in.”

Richard found that Bebras introduced more young people to Code Club. When the spring term began, several members of the Puzzle Club signed up to continue exploring coding and technology at Code Club. 

Give Bebras a go in your Code Club

The free UK Bebras Challenge runs from 9–20 November and introduces young people aged 6–19 to computational thinking through fun, interactive puzzles. They don’t need any coding experience to take part, and the online tasks take just 45 minutes to complete. Every participant also receives a certificate.

Your Code Club can use the archive of previous challenges to try a few puzzles with your club first. They make brilliant warm-up activities and give creators a chance to practise problem-solving, logical thinking, and perseverance together.

As Richard reflected: “I wasn’t sure Bebras would suit a group that wasn’t particularly studious or competitive, but I was surprised by how popular it was. I’m definitely going to take part in the 2026 challenge.”

Bebras takes place around the world. Find your local challenge and contact the organiser to see how your Code Club can take part.

The 2026 UK Bebras Challenge runs from 9–20 November. Register your Code Club for free and invite your creators to discover what they can achieve.