Kids Tech Day exchanges screen time for innovation immersion, a future coded with hope

Children are like sponges, said Isha “Ice” Williams, emphasizing the need for young Kansas Citians’ interactions with technology to be focused on innovation, job skills, and entrepreneurship — not just screen time to keep them busy.

Isha “Ice” Williams, WeCode KC

“They’re already using tech, iPads, and watching TV,” said Williams, marketing coordinator for WeCode KC. “So why not teach them how to do the things that they’re watching, that they’re using, and they can make money from it? Exposing them early just piques their interest and then just guides them through a path of success.”

WeCode KC hopes to reach these would-be students this weekend during a free Kids Tech Day event.

Set for 10 a.m to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Kansas City Convention Center, the programming is designed for youth ages 5 to 17 — bringing together youth, families, educators, community organizations, and technology leaders for a day of hands-on STEAM exploration and discovery, Williams said.

“It expands their learning, helps keep them engaged, looking forward to the future, and having hope,” she continued.

Kids Tech Day — made possible through the collaboration of WeCode KC, Kansas City Developer Conference, sponsors, volunteers, community partners, and technology organizations committed to creating equitable access to technology education and workforce opportunities — opens access for students to explore science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics through engaging, interactive experiences, according to WeCodeKC.

Click here to register for tickets.

“Technology continues to shape every aspect of our world, and it is important that young people have opportunities to explore, create, and imagine what is possible,” said Tammy Buckner, founder and CEO of WeCode KC, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering youth through technology education, workforce development, leadership training, and hands-on STEAM learning experiences. “Kids Tech Day provides a fun and welcoming environment where youth can gain exposure to technology, connect with professionals, and discover future educational and career opportunities.”

Attendees can learn more about robotics, coding, drones, gaming, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, digital arts, engineering challenges, career exploration activities, and more, Williams noted.

“For some, it’s exposing them to environments they’ve never been in before,” she continued. “For others, it’s just confirming what they love to do and giving them the opportunity to do it for free because a lot of the tech programs are expensive to participate in.”

A student tries his hand at a gaming activation during the 2025 Kids Tech Day event; photo courtesy of WeCode KC

More than 400 children and adults participated in the 2025 event, Williams said, and more than 1,000 are already registered for this weekend.

Kids Tech Day 2026 is expected to feature more vendors, hands-on activities, community partners, and technology demonstrations than ever before, including slime demonstrations and play, a mad science show, an AI photo booth, a MindDrive race car and food trucks, plus special guests, swag bags for the first 500 attendees, and technology giveaways.

“Even if they stop by for five minutes, it’ll be just a great experience for them,” Williams noted. “It will definitely be life-changing for some families.”

“We have a lot of support from the community for this,” she added. “So we are hoping that it gets bigger and bigger every year to try to get some more out-of-town people to participate to make this a nationally-known event.”