Maybe you heard about Roblox from your kids asking to play online with their friends. Or maybe you found out about it while researching online coding camps for kids. But wherever you heard about it, you’re wondering, “is Roblox safe for kids to be playing?”

No worries! That’s exactly the question that we’re here to answer.

CodeWizardsHQ regularly uses Roblox in our Roblox coding camps for kids because of its popularity and because it’s an extremely flexible platform. But we also take child safety seriously. We want to fully inform parents about what Roblox is capable of and of the risks inherent in its design.

Let’s dive in!

Roblox Gaming

First up, we’ll be taking a look at the Roblox game itself and explain a bit about what it is.

What is Roblox?

While it is usually described as being a game, Roblox is much closer to being an entire game publishing platform. It offers kids a huge variety of individual games to play. In one of Roblox’s most recent statistical analyses, they released that there were over 40 million different game worlds that had been generated by users!

Many of those are different instances of the same kinds of game, like Adopt Me! or Brookhaven, but even still, that’s a ton of games!

The individual games all vary in content and play style. There are escape room games, pet collection games, games where you play as a horse, or even lifestyle sim games where you live out a life in a virtual city. That huge variety of games means there are plenty of great Roblox games for kids out there.

But what’s really interesting is that the vast majority of these games are not made by Roblox itself, but by users who had an idea and decided to make it a game!

These games are often played on public servers where anyone can join and interact with other players, but games can also run on private servers.

Roblox Age Ratings

Since most Roblox content is user-generated, it’s really, really hard to give a single suggested age rating for the game. You can use the ESRB rating and the in-game age recommendations to determine if a specific experience is appropriate for your child.

Roblox ESRB rating

Because of the user-generated content and the amount of online interaction that is capable inside Roblox, the ESRB (Entertainment Software Ratings Board) has given Roblox a T for Teen rating. Even so, there are games in Roblox that would be completely fine for a 5-year-old to play and games that aren’t ok for any kid to be playing.

So, is Roblox safe for kids under 13?

What age is Roblox for?

To address parental concerns around that disparity, Roblox released an in-game age rating system for games on the platform. These ratings go from “All Ages” to “17+”. They allow users to see what Roblox considers an appropriate age limit for different games.

Roblox Experience Guidelines and Age Recommendations

You can read the full details on what each age rating allows and doesn’t allow on the Roblox Support Website. I’ll include a short summary here, as well.

• All Ages : This content in Roblox is safe for kids
• 9+ : These games may contain “mild” levels of violence, bloodshed, or crude humor
• 13+ : These games may contain “moderate” levels of violence, bloodshed, or crude humor, and may also have unplayable gambling content in the game.
• 17+ : These games are only playable by users who have verified their age. This is done via uploading a selfie and a photo of their government ID. They may contain “strong” levels of violence, realistic blood, crude humor, romantic themes, the presence of alcohol, or unplayable gambling content.

It’s also worth noting that if your child is under 13, Roblox will automatically apply chat filters that should filter out inappropriate content and anything that could give away personal information. But even with the filters on, please be sure you talk to your kids about online chat safety!

Roblox Parental Controls

Age ratings are great for understanding which games might not be great for your kids to play. However, those games are still there. So, is Roblox safe for kids? 

Many parents want to be sure that their kids won’t accidentally click on a game meant for someone a bit older. One of the most obvious ways to do this is to use parent controls designed to prevent kids from having access to those games in the first place.

Does Roblox have parental controls?

Yes! Roblox does indeed have a few different options for parental controls. But, there is a little setup involved in getting them up and running.

Roblox divides out the different parts of parental controls into three main sections. These are Account Restrictions, Allowed Experiences, and Spend Restrictions. You can learn more about Roblox’s child safety tools on their support page, but I’ll also summarize their tools here.

• Account Restrictions – Enabling account restrictions locks a user out of in-game chat functionality and limits them to playing the games that are rated All Ages. This is the most restrictive way to set up a Roblox account but may be a good choice for younger kids.
• Allowed Experiences – Parents can set the child’s account to only allow experiences at or below a specified Age Rating. For instance, if a child’s account is set to only allow 9+ games, they will not be able to access 13+ rated games, even if they are over 13 years of age.
• Spend Restrictions – There are actually two different ways to set Spend Restrictions in Roblox. Parents can either set a monthly spend budget and/or receive Spend Notifications via email. Setting a monthly budget allows kids to spend up to a specified amount of money in-game. Enabling Spend Notifications sends parents an email when kids spend a specified amount of money, but does not directly stop kids from spending it.

Unfortunately, the Spend Restrictions parental controls only work on accounts of kids under 13 years of age, except in Korea. If your kid is 13 or older, these restrictions will not work.

How to Enable Account Restrictions

• Log in to your Roblox account
• Select the Settings option indicated by the gear icon or 3 dots
• Select Privacy option
• In the Account Restrictions section, press the toggle button to turn on Account Restrictions
• The toggle will turn green and the following message will be displayed “Account Restrictions is currently enabled”

How to Add a Parent Pin

• Log in to your Roblox account
• Select the Settings option indicated by the gear icon or 3 dots
• Select Parental Controls option
• In the Parent PIN section, press the toggle button on Parent PIN is disabled
• You will be asked to add a 4-digit PIN

• The toggle will turn green and the following message will be displayed “Parent PIN is enabled”

How to Enable Allowed Experiences

• Log in to your Roblox account
• Select the Settings option indicated by the gear icon or 3 dots
• Select Parental Controls option
• In the Allowed Experiences section, select from the options

How to Enable to Spend Restrictions

1. Log in to your Roblox account
2. Click the gear-icon located at the upper-right corner of the site
3. Select the Settings option indicated by the gear icon
4. Select Parental Controls option
5. Toggle the Monthly Spend Restriction option to On
6. Default input is 0 when the toggle is on
7. Input the desired monthly limit

How to monitor your child’s Roblox account

As a parent, you may want to know exactly what your child has been up to while playing Roblox. Unfortunately, Roblox’s child monitoring features are fairly limited.

Parents can check their children’s spending habits via the Spend Restrictions parental controls mentioned above if their child is under 13. However, if you want to know what your child has been playing, who they’ve been chatting with, or what they’ve been spending their money on, there’s not an easy option.

Roblox’s official stance is that you should log into your child’s account and go through the different game histories to see what they’ve been up to. It’s not an ideal solution, but so long as parents are familiar with how to get around inside Roblox, it can work.

You can read more about what Roblox has to say on the subject on their official support page.

Roblox Safety

Online services are increasingly becoming a normal way for people to interact with each other. However, as with the real world, some locations are safer places to visit than others.

If your kid is going to be spending time in Roblox, you may be wondering, is Roblox a safe place for my kid?

Roblox online interactions

Part of the appeal of playing Roblox games is the large amount of social interaction on the platform. Roblox allows players to interact with each other using:

• text chat
• voice chat
• new Roblox Connect video calls

The text chats and voice chats are pretty straight-forward. Kids can chat with other players in the same game with them, or with friends who are online, but in a different game. However, the video calls are a bit different from what you might expect. Instead of being able to see the other players, these calls use in-game avatar skins instead.

Kids under 13 years of age do not have access to either voice chat or video chat.

Is the chat on Roblox safe?

Roblox does make an effort to keep the in-game chats safe by including filters in the text chat. Their filters are designed to prevent kids of all ages from giving out personally identifiable information. And children under 13 have an extra level of filtering applied to remove inappropriate language. But no matter how good a filter is, it is possible that something could slip by.

A bit more worrisome is that, while Roblox doesn’t allow most links in text chats, it does allow external links to a handful of approved services. These include links to YouTube, Twitter (X), Discord, Facebook, and Twitch. Since these are external services, Roblox does not have the ability to see what happens at these links. That means kids can get access to unmonitored voice or video chats simply by clicking a link in a Roblox chat.

Roblox’s Text Filtering System

If you want to restrict who your child can chat with and who can start a chat with them, you’ll want to set limits on that in the Privacy tab of Roblox’s settings. You can read what Roblox has to say on their support page, but I’ll quickly summarize the options here.

• Who can message me? – This option controls who is able to send a direct message to your child. These are messages that can be sent whether your child is online or not and will remain in their message box.
• Who can chat with me in-app? – This option controls who can start a live chat with your child while they are logged into the game. These chats are like chat rooms where anyone in the rooms can talk with the room.
• Who can chat with me? – This option controls who can chat with your child inside of the different Roblox experiences. So, if your child is inside a public game server, this will control whether someone they don’t know who is also in that game can contact them, or not.

Are there child predators on Roblox?

The developers do their very best to keep Roblox safe for kids who use it. They require age verification to access certain features, including requiring government-issued identification. So, if Roblox becomes aware that one of their users is a child predator, then, of course, they will block that user from logging into the game! However, Roblox has more than 70 million daily active users and over 216 million monthly active users.

Simply put, no matter what safety precautions Roblox puts in place, it is impossible to guarantee that there are no child predators on their platform.

That being the case, it is extremely important to teach your kids how to interact with others online in a safe way. If you need help in teaching internet safety, I personally recommend Google’s Be Internet Awesome program as a starting point.

Tips to make Roblox safe for your kids

Because it is such a highly social online experience, Roblox has a high level of inherent risk. But if used right, it can also be very rewarding. It makes it easy to connect with friends and offers an online space where kids can learn useful skills, like how to make a Roblox game themselves!

Here are some tips to help make Roblox safe for kids:

• Be sure to teach your kids how to safely interact with people they don’t know, both offline and online.
• Use the parental control features available on Roblox to make sure kids cannot be contacted by strangers while playing.
• Teach your kids to be cautious about what links they click on in chats.
• If necessary, block users who interact with your children in inappropriate ways and report any inappropriate behavior to Roblox. (Learn how to report users in Roblox)

How much does Roblox cost?

If you’re just getting started with Roblox, you’re probably wondering how much Roblox is going to cost you. As it turns out, Roblox is completely free to play. But to get the most out of the game, your kids will likely want to buy some of the in game items, like cosmetics or game boosters.

Roblox also has Premium memberships that you can buy that give players access to premium-only features, including benefits inside of individual experiences and the ability to trade items with other players. Those memberships cost between $4.99 and $19.99 depending on which tier of membership you buy.

You can learn more about premium memberships on Roblox’s website.

Robux 

Whether you’re buying an in-game bonus to help you overcome an obstacle or a cosmetic item to make your avatar look extra cool, you pay for those purchases using an in-game currency called Robux.

There are a few different ways to get Robux:

• The simplest method is just to buy them. You can purchase Robux directly from Roblox’s website or as a gift card from a third-party seller like Walmart or Amazon.
• Robux are included in Roblox’s premium membership plans, as well. Depending on which plan you get, you will receive between 450 and 2200 Robux each month.
• You can get Robux as part of an item trade between two players online, although this is only possible between premium members. And Roblox takes a processing fee out of the transaction.
• You can earn Robux by creating games or assets and selling them in Roblox’s store!

Once you have Robux, you can then spend them at the Roblox store or to get items in different Roblox experiences.

Roblox in-game purchases

Roblox has a variety of different things that you can buy in the game that range from purely cosmetic items to private servers where you can play games with your friends!

Here are some of the things you can buy in Roblox:

• Cosmetic Items – Cosmetic items are virtual clothing for your character, and can include anything from shirts and pants, to new hair styles, to avatar skins that make you look like a robot! These don’t do anything other than change the way you look.
• Effect Items – You can also buy in-game items that cause some sort of effect in the game. Some of these can be purchased in the Roblox store and then brought into specific experiences, while others are bought from within an experience and only used there.
• Game Access – While many game experiences in Roblox are free to play, some games require players to purchase access using Robux to get in. One such game is the very popular Bloxburg, which players have to buy for 25 Robux before they can play.
• Private Servers – Some experiences in Roblox allow players to create private servers that can only be accessed by specific players. If you want to create a private server for one of these experiences, it will often cost 10-100 Robux per month to maintain that server.

Gambling 

Many of Roblox’s experiences make use of a mechanic known as “loot boxes” as a way of distributing in-game items. Each loot box that the player buys has one or more item out of a variety of possible items inside. The player does not know which of these items they will receive.

Many governments have expressed concern over these loot boxes and have compared them to gambling, since players are paying for the chance to get what they want. So, is playing Roblox considered gambling? It’s complicated. 

The concern is that exposing children to gambling in this way can be addictive, and may predispose them to gambling in real life when they get older. As such, loot boxes are not recommended for kids. In fact, some governments around the world have begun regulating loot boxes, or banning them altogether. Even so, it is still legal in most countries. 

For the moment loot boxes are still present in many Roblox experiences for kids. This means that if your child plays Roblox, they will most likely see them.

Can you make money on Roblox?

One of the interesting things about Roblox for kids is that most of the experiences and assets on Roblox are made by other players, and not by Roblox itself. When people spend Robux inside these player made experiences or buy player made items, most of those Robux go to the person who created them. These are considered “earned Robux” and can be exchanged for real-world money! 

In fact, Roblox game development is a great way for kids (13 and over) to earn money in Roblox!

Roblox Education

Most Roblox players log in because it’s a fun experience. After all, Roblox is a game platform! But Roblox is also an incredibly flexible platform and an easy entry point to learning real-world coding skills. This makes it an excellent choice of platform for kids interested in learning to code!

What Is Roblox Studio?

Game development is a complex, but rewarding, skill to learn. Making a game requires the ability to understand and modify code, to create assets for objects in the game, and to create a story that will bring your game to life!

Roblox Studio is a set of tools (called an IDE) that Roblox provides its developers to make doing all of that easier. It includes 3D-modeling software, Lua scripting interfaces, and tools for testing, debugging, and publishing experiences. In fact, it includes almost everything that a kid would need to learn game development!

That’s why Roblox Studio is one of the main programs that CodeWizardsHQ uses during our 1-week Roblox Game Development Camp.

Roblox Coding Camps

CodeWizardsHQ Roblox camps are week-long online camps where our live instructors help kids learn the fundamentals of coding in Roblox Studio. During that week, we walk kids through the process of creating a real Roblox experience in the form of an obstacle course. By the end of the week, they will understand how to navigate Roblox Studio and will have a game ready to share with their friends!

It’s a ton of fun, and a great way to prepare your kids for a career in coding. An absolute win-win!

The post Roblox for Kids: The Complete Parent’s Guide to Safe Gaming appeared first on CodeWizardsHQ.

I have yet to meet a kid who doesn’t enjoy playing Minecraft. However, sometimes, as a parent, I do wish they’d spend some of their Minecraft time reading instead. Luckily for both kids and parents, there are tons of amazing Minecraft books for kids out there. These books will get your child reading while also scratching that Minecraft itch.

Prepare your child for success: If you are looking for your child to learn to code, explore our live, teacher-led coding classes. View Programs.

Some of the books in this list are engrossing narratives set in the world of Minecraft. Others are amazing resources for helping kids make the most of their time in-game. And there are even some coding books for kids if they’re interested in learning the basics of coding using Redstone or building mods.

No matter where your kids are on their Minecraft journey, there’s definitely a book on this list that will be great for them!

Minecraft Books for Kids

1. Minecraft – The Island
2. Minecraft Woodsword Chronicles
3. Minecraft for Beginners
4. Minecraft Epic Bases
5. Bite-Size Builds
6. Minecraft Maps
7. Minecraft: Blockopedia: Updated Edition
8. Minecraft Survival: Updated
9. The Minecraft Annual
10. Minecrafter Engineer: Must-Have Starter Farms
11. The Ultimate Player’s Guide to Minecraft
12. The Ultimate Guide to Mastering Circuit Power!
13. Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Minecraft Mods Programming

Minecraft – The Island

Ages: 8-11 years

The Island was the first of Minecraft’s official books and it remains one of my favorite Minecraft books. The main character appears on an island in a Minecraft world with no memory of his past life nor any knowledge of how to survive in this world. He has to discover the world from scratch, just as a new player would when they load up the game!

It’s a great read on its own, but if you’re looking for even more fun, you should check out the audiobook version. It’s read by none other than Jack Black. He really nails the narration and turns an already great book into something spectacular!

My kids listened to it several times, and I got sucked in every time.

The author already released a sequel for The Island called The Mountain, and a third book, The Village, will come out later this year.

Minecraft Woodsword Chronicles

Ages: 6-9 years

The Woodsword Chronicles begin in a similar way to The Island. Five friends are mysteriously transported into the Minecraft world, and must use what they know to survive and thrive! However, the Woodsword Chronicles are a bit easier to read, as they aim at a slightly younger age group.

The 6 Woodsword Chronicles books follow these friends from their first forays into the Minecraft world until their final showdown. Plenty to keep a young Minecrafter busy reading!

These are fun books and an amazing way of getting younger Minecraft fans into reading.

Minecraft for Beginners

Ages: 7-12

Some of the main themes of Minecraft are exploration, discovery, and creativity. At first, Minecraft’s complete lack of tutorials or a larger plot reflected these concepts. It made the game more difficult, in some ways, while allowing individual players the freedom to set their own goals. But it also led to a need for external resources for some players. These players wanted a bit more guidance on what they should be doing to get the most out of Minecraft.

Minecraft for Beginners is an official step-by-step guide to help new players “survive and thrive” in the game. It covers beginning concepts, like how to find food and crafting materials, building a shelter, and surviving basic combat.

This isn’t the right book for experienced players. However, it provides a solid foundation for Minecrafting kids who are just getting started.

Minecraft Epic Bases

Ages: 8-12 years

One of the truly amazing things that you can do in Minecraft is build huge, detailed bases where you can recover between adventures. Epic Bases is a photographic collection of Minecraft bases built by a guild of expert builders. Plus it has top tips and tricks for creating a stunning base of your own!

These bases are an incredible testament to the skill and dedication of the players who built them. If you’re looking for some inspiration for building an epic base of your own, this book is easily one of the best resources of its kind out there.

Bite-Size Builds

Ages: 8-12 years

The funny thing about huge, highly-detailed Minecraft bases is that they are big. Like, really, really big. That has a tendency to be daunting for players who don’t have experience with building things on that scale.

That’s why these Bite-Size Builds books are so amazing. Each book takes some fun and practical builds and breaks them down into easy-to-follow building chunks. It’s similar to how LEGO sets do their build instructions, but with a bit more freedom to stray from the directions and still have things turn out awesome!

There are currently three different books in this series for kids, each with over 20 different builds to try out.

Minecraft Maps

Ages: 8-12 years

The Minecraft world is HUGE, and every map has a wide variety of biomes to explore. Each biome has unique features, including different mobs, plants, and even weather!

This Minecraft Maps book explores each of the game’s different biomes and gives tips and tricks for getting the most out of each one. The book itself reads like a journal of an intrepid explorer looking to discover everything the world has to offer. And the illustrations are fantastic!

It is a few years old at this point (2019). Many of the newer biomes aren’t represented. I, for one, am hoping that that means that a second edition will soon be on its way.

Minecraft: Blockopedia: Updated Edition

Ages: 8-12 years

In the real world, if we didn’t have access to the internet and wanted to learn about something specific, we would turn to our nearest encyclopedia. In the Minecraft world, players can turn to this book.

The Blockopedia is an impressively hefty book, offering up over 300 pages of information on different types of blocks. Its pages feature in-depth information on most of the blocks in the game. This means it is one of the most complete Minecraft reference books you can get anywhere! It does not, however, have specific information on the different mobs in the game. It also lacks information on any of the blocks released in the last couple of years since it came out.

That said, there aren’t any other books out there that do a better job! The Blockopedia is a great choice for any Minecraft fan looking for an offline resource.

Minecraft Survival: Updated

Ages: 8-12 years

One of the best parts of Minecraft is the feeling of adventure that comes from playing through survival mode. From the struggle to find shelter to protect you during your first night all the way through defeating the End Dragon, survival mode offers up challenge after challenge for adventurers brave enough to face them.

And this updated guide from the Official Minecraft Team helps you to take them all on.

It covers every topic you’ll need, with details on hostile mobs, potion making, trading with friendly villagers, and more. But if there is something else you need, there are 3 more books in the series to guide you. These cover Redstone engineering, advanced combat techniques, and creative mode, for when you need a break from surviving.

Together, these 4 books form one of the most comprehensive collections of tips and tricks that you can find!

The Minecraft Annual

Ages: 6-10 years

Though not technically a book, the yearly Minecraft Annual definitely earns its place on this list.

Each annual edition is full of fun Minecraft trivia, tips for playing, and features on the most recent updates. Since most Minecraft reference books tend to be from a couple years ago or more, that last bit can be particularly helpful! They also include build and survival challenges, game ideas for playing Minecraft with friends, and more!

Minecrafter Engineer: Must-Have Starter Farms

Ages: 8-14 years

In between battling dangerous monsters and exploring abandoned mines, Minecraft players also have to find resources to keep them in fighting shape. Often, this means making a farm.

Especially in the early game, creating a farm that provides a source of food can be the key to success. This book is filled to bursting with farm builds that make growing food a breeze, leaving more time to adventure.

Many of the farms in this book are simple enough for beginners, which is great. But the later farms take full advantage of one of the most complex and useful features in the game. Redstone! Luckily, the diagrams do a great job of explaining each build and serve as a great introduction to Redstone mechanics.

The Ultimate Player’s Guide to Minecraft

Ages: 8-12

If you like the idea of a book that will help you make automated farms for growing food and gathering resources, but also want a guide to help you through everything else Minecraft could throw at you, this unofficial player’s guide might just be the book you’re looking for.

The Ultimate Player’s Guide to Minecraft covers everything from a player’s first night, to elaborate Redstone creations. And, for Minecrafters playing on the Java version of the game, it has a decent guide to installing and using mods as a way of unlocking even more functionality!

If you’re not familiar with mods, they are bundles of code that can be added to a Minecraft game to add new features and functionality. And if you know how to code (or want to learn how to code in Minecraft), it’s even possible to build your own!

The Ultimate Guide to Mastering Circuit Power!

Ages: 8-12 years

Mods aside, Redstone circuits are easily one of the most complex parts of Minecraft. In large part, that’s because Redstone mimics real-world electrical wiring systems. A good Redstone engineer can build anything from a door that opens automatically to a fully functioning calculator! But it takes a lot of patience and know-how to get there.

The Ultimate Guide to Mastering Circuit Power dives into the Redstone deep end and helps players understand all the different Redstone elements in the game, as well as giving ideas for things to do with them.

This is not a book for Minecraft beginners, but it is an amazing resource for players who want to master Redstone. And, because of how closely Redstone mirrors electric circuits, they’ll be sure to gain some real-world knowledge along the way!

Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Minecraft Mods Programming

Ages: 13+

If you have a bit of computer know-how, installing a Minecraft mod is a simple enough process. However, coding a Minecraft mod is another matter entirely!

Working on a specific project helps kids learn to code far better than simply trying to piece together different concepts from a book or forum. A Minecraft Mod makes for an excellent project. That’s because making mods stretches kids to experiment with new concepts and coding languages and it gives them a product at the end that they can enjoy.

There aren’t a lot of great books on coding Minecraft Mods out there. And many of the ones that do exist are either outdated or aimed at more experienced coders. An Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Minecraft Mods Programming is one of the few that does a decent job explaining the process for coders with zero modding knowledge all the way up to building a functioning mod.

It’s a good book, but if you ask me, I would recommend coding classes with a live instructor over a book 100% of the time.

Learn to Code in Minecraft

Apart from being a ton of fun, Minecraft can be a great motivational tool for sparking a kid’s interest in learning to code. But the learning process is so much better when done as part of a group!

CodeWizardsHQ has live instructors ready to help your kids learn to code. They even host week-long Minecraft summer camps where kids can learn complex concepts like computational thinking and computer logic while practicing with Redstone and other Minecraft staples.

It’s a ton of fun, and could even be the first step on your kid’s path to a career in coding!

The post 12 Must-Read Minecraft Books for Kids appeared first on CodeWizardsHQ.

The fastest and easiest way for kids to start their own website is by using a website maker.

Most of what kids do, watching shows, playing games, and even schoolwork, often takes place online. So, it comes as no surprise that kids want to create their own websites and make their mark on the world. They can build a website to start a business, make a portfolio, share a passion, or whatever else they decide.

There are many website builder options available, so we’ve narrowed the field by selecting the best for kids to use.

How can kids build a website?

There are two ways kids can make their own website:

1. Write the code themselves
2. Use a website maker

When the internet was first created, the only way to build a new webpage was to code one yourself using HTML. It required specific knowledge, dedication, and time. At CodeWizardsHQ, we teach kids exactly how to code their own websites. If they choose this option, they can customize every feature of their site.

Times have changed though.

Today’s websites do still use HTML and CSS and learning how to code in these languages is super helpful for making customizations. However, there are also a ton of easy-to-use website builders that make it fast and simple to create a fully functioning website without needing any coding experience at all!

These website builders are used by businesses and bloggers alike to quickly build useful websites for work. There are also some easy enough for kids to use to make a website of their own.

Are kids allowed to make websites?

The simple answer is yes, kids are allowed to make websites! However, there are some restrictions.

In the US, there is a law called the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA. This is a group of laws governing how websites collect and use private information from children, and it basically boils down to: Don’t. Websites should not be collecting any information from children under 13. They are also limited on what information they can collect from children over 13.

Practically, this means that if your child is under 13 and wants to make their own website, they should not use their own information to do so. They will need a parent to create the account in their own name and to take responsibility for the website. 

Website Design for Kids

Web design is the process of conceptualizing, wireframing, and implementing a visual design for a website.

Nowadays, designing a website goes beyond just the look and feel, to also include interactive elements and overall functionality.

Website design is inherently a creative project, and kids will often find the process of building a website to be a lot of fun. Each choice they make during the design process can have an immediate impact on the look and feel of their site. Often, that feels exciting and empowering.

Creating a website helps kids to think critically about the way they want their website to work. It’s a puzzle to solve. It lets them experiment with how they want to string different web elements together to create the website they want. It also teaches them how to think critically to solve problems that come up. That’s a super-valuable skill no matter where they want to go in life!

Ultimately, website design is a worthwhile skill to learn in and of itself. As of 2025, according to Salary.com, the average salary for a web designer is $71,106. Experienced designers can make significantly more than that. 

Many web designers also choose to work as freelancers, which means they have the freedom to set their own hours. That makes web design an increasingly valuable skill. And the easiest way to learn it is for kids to dive in and start making their own website!

What is the best website builder for kids?

For most people, including kids, website builders are the easiest and best way to create a new website. However, which website builder you choose will depend a lot on what that specific builder has to offer!

Features of the best website makers for kids

In our opinion, a good website builder for kids should:

Be easy to use 

We wanted website builders that were easy for kids to use, even if they don’t have any coding experience. Their interfaces should be user-friendly and intuitive.

Have templates

Templates are a great way to jump into making a new website. Even if your kid chooses to create a completely custom look for their website, templates can make great jumping-off places for getting started.

Offer a feature-rich experience

Some website builders offer significantly more features than others. While your kid may not have a use for all of the features on offer, it’s still really nice to have them there so they can explore their options.

Be reasonably priced

Some premium website builders come with a decidedly premium price. While these sites do offer some amazing benefits for making the website-building experience as smooth as possible, free or low-cost builders are usually a better choice for kids who are just starting to explore what they want in a website. Besides, you can always upgrade later!

Note: More than 43.5% of websites online today were built using WordPress (W3Techs, 2025). That’s an impressive statistic, and it shows that WordPress is a capable program that can meet most people’s needs for a website maker. However, the same features that make it so flexible also make it a little bit harder to use for beginners. It’s worth learning, but maybe not first.    

Recommended: 25 Best Coding Apps for Kids

Top 5 Website Makers for Kids

After careful consideration, these are our top 5 best website makers for kids!

1. Wix
2. Weebly
3. Squarespace
4. SITE123
5. Google Sites

Wix

Wix is an incredibly popular website builder for a reason. Signing up with Wix is super simple, and their program walks new users through all the initial setup steps so they can dive straight into designing their website.

• One of the easiest website builders
• Drag-and-drop interface
• AI integrated into the site builder

Ease of Use

Wix is one of the easiest-to-use website builders out there. Not only do they have a super-intuitive drag-and-drop interface for building and customizing your website, but they have also deeply integrated artificial intelligence into their site builder so that you can use it to customize your site simply by giving answers to a handful of prompts. This isn’t how most website builders currently work, but it is fairly likely that it is where the industry is headed, so helping your kid learn this now could be a huge leg up in the future.

Templates

While it’s easy enough to build a website from a large number of pre-made Wix block elements, Wix also has a huge number of really nice looking templates to choose from. All the templates are completely customizable, and lend a cohesive and professional look to a new website with minimal effort.

Features

Wix uses something called Wix Apps to add extra functionality to web pages. These apps help site builders to add all sorts of abilities to their websites, from recording and playing music and podcasts to setting appointments or selling merchandise. Which apps you choose to include depends largely on what your kid wants to do with their website, but almost anything is possible from a technological standpoint.

Price

Wix has a free plan with limited storage and a wixsite.com domain name. Premium plans start at $4.50/month if you want to keep the Wix branding, or $8.50/month if you want to get rid of the Wix branding.

Weebly

Weebly is another website builder, similar to Wix, that features an easy-to-use drag-and-drop site editor.

• Many responsive templates available
• Drag-and-drop interface
• Limited customization

Ease of Use

As easy as Wix is to use, Weebly is even easier. However, that ease of use comes at the price of customization. Weebly sites can be just as beautiful as Wix sites right out of the box, but if there are small changes that your kid wants to make to their site, it may end up not being possible.

Templates

Weebly offers a large number of beautiful, responsive templates for websites, but again, there is a lack of easy customization options for many of them. Still, if your kid is more interested in the content they want to put on their website than they are in the actual design of the website itself, Weebly does a great job of getting “design” out of the way.

Features

Weebly is designed to make the website design as simple as possible so that people can jump straight into creating the content that makes their website unique. They make an excellent place for hosting a personal blog, and they even allow basic eCommerce transactions on their free plan, which is fairly unusual for free websites.

Price

Weebly does offer a free-forever plan on its website alongside its paid plans. Personal (non-business) plans start at $10/month.

Squarespace

Squarespace is a website builder with specialized formatting tools that help maintain a consistent look and feel across the entirety of your website with minimal effort. That consistency, and easy integration with a number of business apps, makes Squarespace a favorite for small businesses looking to create an amazing online experience, but it works just as well for kids wanting to design a good-looking site, too!

• Simple features 
• Grid editing interface
• Many integration opportunities

Ease of Use

As with the previous website makers, Squarespace relies on a drag-and-drop system for placing different elements into a webpage. It’s a simple, but effective, way to create a variety of web page designs while keeping styles consistent. Squarespace blocks are constrained to a grid on the page to help keep things lined up. However, for more complex layouts, it takes a bit of work to get things how you want them.

Templates

Squarespace has hundreds of beautiful templates to choose from, which, admittedly, can seem overwhelming, at first. Luckily, their template selection page starts with a few questions about the kind of blog you want to build that can help narrow down the field. Or, you can browse the entire collection to find the perfect fit!

Features

The biggest reason to use Squarespace over other website builders is their unified style sheet. Essentially, it allows you to choose your color palettes and fonts once and have them remain consistent across the entirety of your site. This saves a ton of time for businesses, but can be useful for kids, too! Other site builders have site-style features similar to this, but Squarespace’s implementation is one of the best that I’ve seen.

Price

Unfortunately, Squarespace does not have a free tier for their service, though they do have a 2 week free trial for those interested in taking a look. After that, their least expensive plan is $16/month. Essentially, if you were already planning on having a custom domain or paying for other features, Squarespace is just as affordable as most other website builders. But if you want a free option, you’ll need to look elsewhere.

SITE123

SITE123 advertises itself as being the absolute easiest website builder out there, and it does a decent job of backing up that claim. However, the flip side of that being simple means there are fewer customization options available for those who want them.

• Get started in a few clicks
• Different layouts to choose from
• Low-cost option

Ease of Use

SITE123 is extremely easy to get up and going. I was able to get a decent-looking website with multiple pages ready in just a few clicks! Editing those pages was simple as well, with only a handful of formatting options to choose from. Their target audience seems to be small business owners who don’t want to spend a lot of time building their website, but that same simplicity means SITE123 is well-suited as a website maker for kids, as well!

Templates

Where the previous website makers featured numerous different templates to choose from, SITE123 limits its template selections to a mere handful of layouts. The focus is on simplicity more than on customization, which works very well for younger kids just getting started out.

Features

SITE123 has many of the most basic features that you would expect from a website builder, but locks most of its more advanced features behind a paywall. Free sites are limited on everything from what page elements can be added to what fonts can be used. If you’re just getting started and want to stay on a free site, this can be a bit frustrating. However, SITE123’s paid plans are some of the least expensive options I’ve seen, so if you are looking for a basic website but want a personalized domain, this is an OK option!

Price

SITE123 does have free options, but they are severely limited. Their most basic plans start at around $3.50/month paid annually, though that number can go down during sales or if you purchase your site for longer periods of time.

Google Sites

Google Sites is a website maker for Google users. If your child already has a Google Account, they actually already have access to a decent, but not great, website builder. While Google knows the web well, its main business model is website discovery, not website creation. This shows in Google Sites’ offerings. Even so, if your kid is wanting to get started in web development but isn’t quite ready to take charge of the whole project, Sites is a great place to begin.

• Drag and drop editor
• 3rd party free and paid templates available
• Easy integration with Google Drive

Ease of Use

If you have any experience with using Google Drive, you already know how to use Google Sites. Head to sites.google.com, hover over the plus symbol in the lower right-hand corner and choose to create a new site or start from a template. From there it’s a simple drag-and-drop editor.

Visually, the editor is a bit basic, but all the elements are resizable, you can change color templates and font styles easily from the themes tab, and its direct connection with Google Drive means embedding media is really easy, too.

Templates

Google Sites Template gallery is fairly limited, but has some decent-looking sites to choose from. However, if you’re willing to do some internet searches, it’s possible to find free and paid templates for Sites from 3rd party websites. These are fairly simple to upload to Google and apply to a new site, meaning there are endless options here.

Features

The main feature here is the easy integration with Google Drive, meaning you can easily embed documents, forms, and YouTube videos without hassle. However, Sites does not have a dedicated blogging function. Nor does it come with an easy way to search and add plugins. It gets around this by allowing 3rd party embeds in a code block, but it isn’t a super clean solution. It’s not as robust as many other options, but may be a great choice for a kid looking to make their own website!

Price

Google Sites is completely free to use. It just requires a Google Account. If you want your own domain name for your site, you’ll have to buy it separately and then use it to host your Google Site. But the Sites platform itself is 100% free.

Compare the best website makers for kids:

Kids Can Build a Website from Scratch

Of course, no matter which website builder you choose to use, you will eventually come up against some limitations. One way around this is to skip using a website builder entirely and start from scratch. With enough coding knowledge, the sky’s the limit!

Websites are built using HTML, just like they were before any of these website builders even existed.

However, modern sites also use other coding languages, like CSS, JavaScript, and more. While it is still quite possible to create a fully-functioning website with nothing more than some text documents and a firm understanding of HTML, being able to code a modern website requires more than that.

CodeWizardsHQ offers coding classes for kids of all skill levels, and can take your kid from “Hello World!” to creating their own websites, and beyond! And, even if they do end up deciding to use a website builder, the ability to code is an invaluable skill for so much more than just customizing websites.

In fact, no matter where your kid chooses to go in life, having a good understanding of code and how it works can help them to succeed!

Nevertheless, we all have to start somewhere! I hope this has helped you in finding your kid’s starting line.

The post Top 5 Website Makers for Kids appeared first on CodeWizardsHQ.

Data science is the field of science that works to organize information so it can be used. 

From weather reports to business analytics, huge amounts of data surround us every moment. 

When used correctly, data guides our decisions and helps move society as a whole forward. But it’s not just for the adults. Data science is for kids, too!

What is data science for kids?

Data science for kids is how we teach kids to collect data, analyze it, and organize it in useful ways.

Data science is a growing field, in fact, employment of data scientists is projected to grow 36 percent from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations. The most obvious use is data scientists who are analyzing data for big business or government organizations.

However, people also work at organizing information and finding patterns every day. So, the idea of teaching data science to kids isn’t as far-fetched or intimidating as it might sound. If you have kids, you may already be teaching them the basics! 

Kids in today’s world can benefit from learning data science in a more in-depth or formalized manner. Kids who understand how to organize data will have a huge leg up in analytical thinking and job opportunities. After all, the amount of data being collected on a daily basis is only increasing.

Data science for kids is how we teach kids to collect data, analyze it, and organize it in useful ways.

Is data science easy for kids?

Every child is different, so learning data science is going to be easier for some kids than for others.

As with many other informational sciences, data science requires a strong understanding of mathematical principles. Kids with an interest in science and math may have an easier time learning data science than kids who struggle with these subjects. 

Data science will also be easier for kids who have experience with computational thinking and coding. Data science heavily relies on these principles to analyze large amounts of data.

Kids who dislike math, or aren’t experienced with computers, will also have a disadvantage when learning data science. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible, but it will be much easier with a foundation in those skills.

What skills are required for data science?

Like other complex subjects, it is a good idea to have a base understanding of several important skills before trying to master data science. 

Pattern Recognition

At the most basic level, kids should be able to recognize complex patterns. Then, they can use that recognition to predict where those patterns are headed. Pattern recognition is often taught at a younger age, but can sometimes get ignored as kids get a bit older. However, since data science uses large amounts of information, the ability to spot patterns is extremely helpful.  

Databases

They should also at least be familiar with using databases as a way of organizing and manipulating datasets. This is important, as the size of the data sets used in data science can be very large. If proper database management techniques aren’t in place the data can quickly become very messy. 

Data Visualization

Another great skill to have is the ability to take the data and organize it into useful charts and graphs. This skill is called data visualization. It is incredibly important for being able to present and explain the patterns in the data. 

Coding

It is also essential to be able to code. Data scientists use algorithms and AI to find patterns and make predictions from datasets. If they’re building these programs themselves or even if they are modifying a program, they’ll need to write code.

Does data science require coding? 

Yes, coding is an absolutely essential skill for data scientists.

According to Edx.org, the top 9 programming languages for data scientists are:

1. Python
2. R
3. SQL
4. Scala
5. Julia
6. JavaScript
7. Java
8. C/C++
9. MATLAB

For kids, learning to code can be a ton of fun, when done right. CodeWizardHQ’s coding classes are an excellent place to learn Python.

Data scientists regularly deal with huge amounts of information. Trying to understand what it means would be like exploring the depths of the ocean without any SCUBA gear. You may be able to see the bits that are nearest to the surface, but to make deeper connections, you’ll need the right tools to really dive in.

Data Science for Kids in Python

To get the job done, data scientists use a wide array of different coding languages.

Each language offers its own advantages and disadvantages for analyzing the data. The specific language needed for a task depends largely on the set of data and how it needs to be changed. However, if you’re wondering which language to start with, you can’t go wrong with learning Python. 

Python is one of the easiest coding languages for kids to learn, but it is also surprisingly robust. It’s used to run many of the world’s largest sites and is used in many professions, including data science. In fact, in a report done in 2018, 66% of all Data Scientist’s reported using Python on a daily basis!

For instance, a data scientist might use Python to write a function that filters out duplicates from their data set. They do this so they can get a clearer picture of the data they need. Or they could use JavaScript to build a dashboard that lets them interact with the information more easily. 

Here’s a Python code snippet commonly used in data science to read data from a CSV:

import pandas as pd

data = pd.read_csv('data.csv')
print(data.head())

It should come as no surprise that, since it is such a popular coding language, there are a ton of useful courses for learning Python out there. Unfortunately, the vast majority of courses are aimed at adult learners. With its focus on small class sizes and live instructors, CodeWizardsHQ offers some of the absolute best Python classes for kids.  

5 Tips for Teaching Data Science to Kids

When you’re thinking about key skills that you should be teaching your kids, data science probably doesn’t sound like a topic that would have the same sort of weight as reading, writing, and arithmetic, but odds are you’re already teaching them the basics without even knowing it!   

At its core, data science is just the process of gathering information and using it to make informed decisions.

It may be something that most parents are already doing, but it’s worth the effort to make sure that you’re doing it well. 

Here are 5 tips for intentionally teaching data science to kids:

1. Teach them to ask Quantifiable Questions

It’s hard for kids to make data-informed decisions if they don’t have any data to work with. 

The world is full of questions to be asked and problems to be solved. That’s a core principle of science! Encourage your kid to watch out for these problems and to get them to ask questions about them. 

“Why” is always a popular question with kids, but it’s not easy to quantify. If you want data to analyze, questions that start with “how much” or “how often” are often more helpful. These questions have answers that are easier to quantify, which is helpful for organizing information.

Questions like, “How often do I eat apples?” or “How many kids were at the pool today?” are easy to put a number to and can be lots of fun to research! 

2. Chart out the Data

Even with smaller data sets, if you don’t take the time to organize them well it’s much more difficult to see patterns. Teaching kids how to organize their data gives them a skill that can be useful not only in doing science but also in making everyday decisions! 

In day-to-day life, charting out data looks like making to-do lists, meal planning for the week, or budgeting an allowance, which are all useful skills. Starting with these relatively small data sets can help kids get a feel for how organizing information can make it easier to understand. 

Putting data in a simple table is an easy way to start, but as kids get more capable they can take the data from those tables and turn them into graphs that make patterns easier to see!    

3. Help them to Find Patterns

In early education, kids are often taught to find patterns in a sequence of shapes or colors. Further development of pattern-seeking often gets overlooked. That’s a real shame because patterns are everywhere and they can be really helpful for making decisions. 

It could be as easy as helping them notice the patterns in their daily routine by filling in a calendar, or teaching them songs with simple patterns. Older kids can find patterns while helping plan meals for the week (e.g. tacos on Tuesdays means left-over rice for fried rice on Wednesdays). 

Teaching kids to find patterns is an important first step in data-driven problem-solving, and can be just as useful (and fun!) in day-to-day life as it is in scientific discovery. 

4. Encourage kids to make data-driven predictions

Finding patterns is important, but if it isn’t applied, it’s ultimately useless. That’s why it’s so important to help kids make predictions based on the patterns that they see!

Making predictions is all about looking at the data that has been organized and trying to figure out what it says about the problem at hand. If you have data on when there are more or fewer kids at the pool and data on daily temperatures, you could ask them to predict if the pool will be crowded or not based on the day’s temperature. 

If the prediction can be tested, do so. When kids get their predictions right, it’s super validating, but even if they get it wrong it can be a great learning experience!   

5. Code, Code, Code!

When kids are just learning about data, small sample sizes mean that it’s easy enough to track, chart, and analyze by hand, but real world data scientists often deal with huge sets of data. 

Understanding how code can help scientists to understand their data is a major part of data science, so coding definitely needs to be a part of any budding data scientist’s learning. 

I mentioned Python before, and, if your kids are ready for a text-based language, it’s a great place to start. However, even if your kids aren’t ready for Python, there are some great drag-and-drop options out there, including Scratch. Scratch coding isn’t something that will carry over into a coding career, but it is an excellent way to help kids learn coding concepts before diving into something like Python or Java.   

5 Data Science Platforms for Kids

The basic concepts of Data Science can be fairly easy for kids to pick up. However, if your kid is serious about a career in data science, at some point they’re going to have to go deeper than just the basics. 

The tools and platforms that real-world data scientists use range from generic database programs to pretty specialized tools. Luckily, there are several useful platforms for learning and doing data science that can help kids get a leg up! 

IBM Skillsbuild Courses

IBM’s Data Science Skillsbuild Course offers several different data science resources for students covering hours of instruction. This is an amazing free resource and a great place to start for older kids interested in a career in data science! 

These courses cover tons of data science related topics, from techniques for managing large amounts of information to real life profiles of data scientists describing what they do on a day to day basis.  

Data Games

If your kids aren’t quite ready to dive into the nuts and bolts of advanced data science, this collection of data games is an easy and fun place to start! 

The SRRI (Scientific Research Reasoning Institute and the University of Massachusetts Amherst collaborated to design these games. They are an approachable way of introducing data analysis and statistics concepts to kids. 

They’re surprisingly fun and feature slimmed-down analytic tools based on the Fathom and TinkerPlots data analysis tools. This gives kids some hands-on experience with real data analytics. 

Overall, this is a great choice for building kids’ interest in data science!

Create&Learn Platform

Create&Learn is an online learning platform for kids. It features a wide variety of classes discussing topics like internet safety, the science behind NASA, website design, and, of course, Data Science. 

Their Data Superpower Class is a weekly online class with a live instructor. It goes over the basics of what data science is and discusses why it’s so valuable in today’s world. 

CodeWars

I cannot stress enough how important, for kids interested in Data Science, a good coding foundation is. Python, in particular, is so useful for analyzing and manipulating data. 

You can (and should!) enroll your kids in Python coding courses to get them going. But, if they are keen on sharpening up their skills outside of class, CodeWars is an online platform that offers coding challenges to help coders of all ages to build their abilities. 

Solving the different challenges can be a ton of fun, and is a great way to build real world skills!

Tableau Data Visualization Software for Students (Ages 16+)

Most of the focus on Data Science goes towards data analysis. However, in many businesses, the process of visualizing and presenting that data to decision-makers in a way that it can be helpful is often just as important. 

Data scientists use Tableau Data Visualization Software to present the data in their databases in visually appealing ways. Tableau provides access to its software for free to students, but it is quite advanced and requires a good understanding of databases to use. 

The post Data Science for Kids: Teach Data Science and Coding appeared first on CodeWizardsHQ.

While there are many different coding languages out there, few make as great of a starting point as Python for kids. In part, that’s because it is a fairly easy coding language to pick up. It’s also because it’s a powerful and flexible language. It can be used for a wide variety of projects, including some really fun Python games for kids! 

That’s really useful because while it’s technically possible to learn a coding language by memorizing all its different parts, it is far easier and way more fun to learn Python by working to build your own project. 

[Download] Free Python Lesson Plans Get free 1-week Python lesson plans and slides for kids ages 11-13 to start learning about Python coding. Download Now

Working through real problems and finding real solutions engages kids’ brains in ways that simple rote memorization just doesn’t. As Brian Tracy puts it, “Goals are the fuel in the furnace of achievement!”

There are several platforms that utilize gamification to teach Python. Sometimes it can be more helpful to simply choose a project you want to work on and jump right in!

If your child is just beginning their coding journey, coming up with a project idea that is both engaging enough to hold their attention and simple enough to be feasible can be tricky.

That’s why we’ve organized this list of 10 fun Python games for kids to code and play themselves.

10 Fun Python Games for Kids 

All games on this list were created using Python but they vary in how well the coding process is explained. Some of them have detailed step-by-step tutorials. Others lean more heavily on their student’s ability to do research on their own. Even so, any of these Python games could make a great coding project for kids learning to code!  

1. Pig Dice Game

Pig is a simple dice game played with a single die. Players take turns rolling the die to increase their score, and the first person to 30 wins. But watch out, if you roll a 1, you have to start over!

This is a perfect project for a beginner to tackle. The game itself only explores basic Python concepts like setting variables and generating random integers. Also, the Python code is very well documented in this tutorial.  

The code for the Pig Dice game doesn’t need elements from any external libraries, either. So, it’s a great game for kids looking for a beginner Python Project.

Play Pig Dice Game

2. Traffic vs. Zombie game 

The Traffic vs. Zombie game is essentially a clone of popular games like Frogger or Crossy Road, but built with Python. The tutorial breaks down the entire game-building process from start to finish. The article starts out with a great explanation of why you might choose to make a game using Python code. Even if your kid chooses a different game to build, the article is worth a read to get some inspiration!

This project is helpful for learning about skills like taking user input and coding collision logic. The end project is a great-looking game that doesn’t require a ton of advanced coding skills. This makes it perfect for kids early on in their coding journey!

Play Traffiv Vs. Zombie Game

3. Rock Paper Scissors Game 

Rock, Paper, Scissors is another classic game of chance and skill that can be replicated using Python. This project allows players to challenge the computer to throw hands. At the same time, they learn about accepting player input and using loop functions. 

Play Rock, Paper, Scissors Game

4. Asteroids Game 

Asteroids was one of my favorite games when I was a kid. I ended up playing different versions of it throughout my childhood. Taking it on as a Python project is a larger undertaking than some of the other games on this list. However, the end result is a game that your kid can be proud of! 

The Asteroids project is a bit more complicated than some of the others, but the tutorial is detailed enough to follow along.  

As an added bonus, the Asteroids game tutorial also makes use of the Pygame library. It’s a popular library used in the making of many different Python-based games. Since so much of coding in Python requires the use of libraries, learning how to use them well is an important coding skill.  

Play Asteroids Game

5. Color Game 

The rules of Color Game are pretty simple: type the color you see, not the name of the color that is written. However, it’s way trickier than it sounds at first because it challenges your logical brain to rely on your ability to sense color while ignoring the words you read! Luckily, coding the game is a lot more straightforward than playing it is. If your kid needs a little help making this project work, the code for a working version of Color Game is well-documented on its tutorial page. 

This game is a great way to explore skills like changing the colors of elements using Python code and adding a countdown timer to a project. 

Play Color Game

6. Tic Tac Toe Game 

There are few games as iconic as the classic game of Tic Tac Toe. It’s a battle of wits between two competitors, played out on a 3×3 square grid. The main goal is to place 3 of your own markers in a straight line before your opponent can do the same. 

This particular tutorial helps young coders to build a tic tac toe game that can be played either against the computer or against a second human player if you’re looking for a multiplayer experience.  

Tic Tac Toe is a perfect project for teaching how to use Python code to check if specific conditions have been met or not, and allow or disallow user inputs based on the results of that check. It is a little more complex than some of the other projects on this list, but a ton of fun to code, and even more to play!   

Play Tic Tac Toe Game

7. Snake Game 

In the era before smartphones, I’m afraid that I logged an embarrassing number of hours playing the game of Snake. And now, thanks to the power of Python, so can your kid! 

For those who are unaware, Snake is a game where the player moves a snake across their screen on a mission to eat as many apples as possible without accidentally biting its own tail. Each apple makes the snake’s tail longer, and therefore more difficult to avoid. 

Snake is a great game for practicing setting and checking xy coordinates using Python. The tutorial for this game is a bit less in-depth than some of the others on this page, but the entirety of the code is there in case your kid needs some help. 

Play Snake Game

8. Dot Connect Game 

The Dot Connect game is another classic pencil-and-paper game. It gets a whole new electronic lease on life through Python coding.

The code for this one lays out a 9×9 grid of dots for two players to draw their lines on, one at a time. Players score points by completing squares and the game ends when there are no longer lines to draw on the grid. 

It’s a surprisingly strategic game for such a simple concept. It is a great way to learn more about using Python to check for objects within set distances.   

Like with the Snake game, the code is all listed out for your kid to see. However, there’s not a lot in the way of guidance provided on the different lines of code. It’s a bit complex but makes a great coding project for motivated kids to do their own research. 

Play Dot Connect Game

9. Egg Catcher Game 

In Egg Catcher, players move a basket back and forth and attempt to catch eggs falling from the sky. Where are these eggs coming from? From the code, of course!

Coders can see the source code for the game but will have to figure out what the different lines of code actually do on their own or with the help of a quick internet search. It can be a bit challenging as a first project, but with a little practice, reading the lines of code should begin to seem natural! 

This a great project for learning how to make it look like objects are falling and for practicing with collision logic to check if the eggs were successfully caught!

Play Egg Catcher Game

10. Fidget Spinner 

Fidget Spinner is slightly different from the other games on this list. While there is an interactive element to it, there’s not really a condition for winning or losing. The finished code ends up being more of a toy to play with than a game. 

This project explores concepts of increasing and decreasing the speed of different elements based on the presence or lack of user input.  

Of course, the real fun in learning to code the spinner is in getting to see the code you wrote working as intended! 

Play Fidget Spinner Game

Download 1-Week Python Lesson Plans

Kids ages 11-13 can start learning Python in a structured way. Download a FREE 1-week lesson plan with activities and slides. Enter your name and email to receive the free lesson plans in your inbox today.

Python Classes for Kids

Any one of these fun Python games for kids would make a great project to work towards at the beginning of a Python coding journey. However, it should be noted that learning Python on your own can be significantly more difficult than learning from a live teacher who already knows how to code. 

That’s what’s so great about CodeWizardHQ’s Python classes for kids! The classes are done in a virtual classroom with a live teacher, so there’s always someone for kids to turn to when they need a hand. It really gives young coders a leg up and helps them learn how to code more effectively from the get-go, without needing to learn it the hard way. 

Plus, CodeWizardsHQ’s classes cover a lot more than just coding in Python. They give students a wider, more well-rounded picture of what coding looks like in the real world. 

If you’re interested in providing your kids with the best possible coding education around, I highly recommend enrolling them in CodeWizardsHQ’s Python classes for kids. 

The post Python Games for Kids to Code appeared first on CodeWizardsHQ.

There has been a lot of talk about the importance of introducing STEM topics to kids lately. Almost every job available today has been impacted by our advances in science and technology. Therefore, a firm grasp of science concepts continues to be a huge advantage. 

There are tons of great science and math classes for kids available and it’s nearly impossible to avoid technology, but what about engineering? What is engineering for kids? And how is it different from science?

While science is typically about the discovery of facts, a simple engineering definition for kids is that it is the application of scientific discoveries to solve problems. 

That’s why it’s so important! 

Learning engineering helps kids to think critically about the problems they find and come up with solutions. It helps them to build a growth mindset. And ultimately, it will help them to change the world!

The Engineering Design Process

Despite that significant difference, on the surface, Engineering really doesn’t look all that different from the general Sciences. Science is about answering questions. Engineering is about solving problems. They really are very similar! But there are some key differences in the ways they work that set them apart.  

In Scientific research, there is a set of steps called the “Scientific Method ”. This is commonly used to get from a question to an answer. It’s taught in most schools, and you’re likely already familiar with its different parts. Engineering has its own version, called the Engineering Design Process, that takes engineers from a problem to a solution. Here’s how it works:

ASK

The Ask step is all about identifying a problem in need of a solution. Engineers are working on all sorts of problems. These range from finding new ways to get energy and stronger building materials to figuring out how to colonize Mars.  

IMAGINE

The Imagine step is essentially a brainstorming session. It’s about throwing ideas around to see if something sticks. There aren’t any wrong answers here. It’s all about creativity! 

PLAN

Planning is where things start to get real. It’s all about taking the most promising ideas from the imagine step and figuring out how to start making them work in real life. 

CREATE 

The Create step is where engineers take their plans and make them real! 

EXPERIMENT

Now comes the fun part! The Experiment step is all about testing out the creation to see if it works. Does it solve the problem at hand? Are there any new problems introduced? 

Most new ideas don’t work on the first try. In fact, learning how to deal with failure is a major component of good engineering. After all, as the author William Whewell said, “Every failure is a step to success!”

IMPROVE

It’s time to iterate! Just because an experiment is successful doesn’t mean that it can’t be improved. The Improve step is about looking over the results of the experiment and looking for ways to make your solution better, simpler, or more efficient. It is rare that a solution can’t be improved in some way.

Types Of Engineers

By some counts, there are as many as 50 different types (or more!) of engineering professions out there, but all of them use these same basic steps to get the job done. That’s pretty impressive since many types of engineering have very little in common. 

Many people assume that engineers are limited to jobs that create new kinds of machines or inventions, but really that’s only a single category of engineer (Mechanical). In reality, engineers are an important part of almost every scientific field, making engineering one of the most varied and interesting types of career out there! 

Here are a few of the most popular kinds of engineering jobs today.

Mechanical Engineers

Mechanical Engineers are what many people think of when they consider engineering. These are the people who work to apply physics and simple machines to create all the amazingly complex machines that we use on a regular basis, from can openers to robots! 

Civil Engineers

Civil Engineers work on building projects that help to make life better for everyone. All sorts of public projects, like bridges, dams, sewers, and subway systems all fall into the category of civil engineering. 

Electrical Engineers

Electrical Engineers work with all sorts of electrical systems. They’re part of huge projects like wind farms and they are involved in the intricate electrical pathways found on tiny microchips. Electricity is such an integral part of our modern society that there are very few projects done today that don’t include electrical engineering in some form.  

And more!

Other branches of engineering include Chemical engineering, Nuclear engineering, Industrial engineering, and more. Engineers are part of so many different kinds of projects, it’s practically impossible to list them all. 

How to Teach Engineering to Kids

With such a wide field, it can be a little daunting to try to figure out how to add opportunities to learn engineering to your kids’ schedule, but it’s worth it! As everyone’s favorite Science-guy, Bill Nye, says, “There’s nothing I believe in more strongly than getting young people interested in science and engineering, for a better tomorrow, for all humankind.” 

Luckily, when I’m not writing articles like this one, I’m a homeschooling science-dad to two little engineers of my own! 

Here are some of the different products, books, and activities that I would recommend introducing engineering for kids.

Engineering Toys

For kids engineering toys, I highly recommend toys that can be used for imaginative free play. These are toys that can be used over and over again and are super helpful both for building critical thinking skills and for getting kids familiar with basic physics concepts. 

Magnatiles

Ages: 3+

Magnatiles are amazing! My kids have been playing with our Magnatiles sets for years at this point and they still feature prominently in the vast majority of their games. They love constructing elaborate buildings and vehicles for their games, and I’ve been seriously impressed at the flexibility of a toy that’s essentially just some magnetic shapes.  

Brain Flakes

Ages: 5+

I had my doubts when my wife bought our kids a huge tub of brain flakes, but my kids took to them immediately and created some pretty cool constructs with these. Unlike most block sets, building with brain flakes isn’t as easy as stacking blocks on top of each other, so making things with them really gets my kids to think outside the box. 

Literally any LEGO set!

Ages: 5+

I played with LEGOs as a kid and they are, without a doubt, still the king of creative toys. Younger kids will love using LEGOs for creative play, but the sets for older kids add in some pretty cool moving pieces! We even got a set that let me build a gearbox with my kids! 

K’NEX Model Sets

Ages: 8+

The K’NEX model sets take building set complexity to the next level. I love working through the different roller coaster sets with the kids and exploring how more complex machines work. They aren’t super great for younger kids, but if the foundation is there, they can be really educational

Recommended: Coding Toys for Kids

Kids Engineering Kits

While engineering kids toys are mostly focused on free play and creativity, engineering kids kits are all about exploring specific engineering concepts. They can be highly educational and come with easy-to-follow directions that help to make complex ideas much more approachable. 

Thames & Kosmos Simple Machines Kit

Ages: 8+

I LOVE Thames & Kosmos kits! While I linked to the Simple Machines one, they have several different kits available that help you to explore all sorts of engineering concepts with kids. Their instruction books do a great job of breaking down concepts and the kits themselves are beautiful. Definitely check them out.

Snap Circuits: My Home Plus Kit

Ages: 8+

Electricity is a complex enough topic without needing to have kids work with fiddly wires and poorly labeled machine pieces. Snap Circuits does an amazing job of taking all those connections and turning them into snappable blocks that can be used to build all sorts of neat electronic projects. Their instruction booklets start with really basic projects and slowly ramp up the difficulty, making the lessons remarkably easy to follow. 

MindBlown DIY Model Engine Kit

Ages: 8+

I have not yet had the chance to build a complete model engine with my kids, but this is the Engine kit that I personally have my eye on for when the day comes. I love that the casing is made from clear plastic so kids can see everything happening inside, and since this kit is made by Discovery, it has some solid brand recognition going for it. 

Engineering Books For Kids

Rosie Revere, Engineer

Ages: 3-6

Overcoming failure is such an important part of engineering, and of life in general! Rosie Revere introduces this concept in a big way while holding kids’ attention with a great story and beautiful illustrations. Really, all of the books in this series are worth looking into. And when your kids get a bit older, also be sure to check out the Questioneer’s Project books, too! 
Rosie Revere’s Big Project Book for Bold Engineers (Ages 5-7)

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
Picture Book | Young Readers Edition 

Ages: 4-10 (Picture Book) | 9+ (Young Readers Edition)

I picked up the picture book version of this story from the library when my kids were younger and it was a hit! It’s the story of a young boy in Malawi who overcomes adversity and brings electricity to his village by building a wind-powered generator. It’s inspirational, and gets kids wondering what they might be able to do if they put their minds to it! 

If you’re planning on reading it together as a family, the Young Reader’s Edition is a longer version of the story that goes into a bit more detail and is better for families with older kids. 

How Machines Work: Zoo Break!

Ages: 7-10

DK Books is one of my go-to publishers for educational books for kids in large part because of how they make learning fun, and this book is a great example. 

How Machines Work: Zoo Break isn’t just an engineering book for kids, but it also has interactive engineering pullout examples in the form of gears, levers, pulleys, and more!  

Klutz Lego Gear Bots Science/STEM Activity Kit

Ages: 8-12

While this is technically a book, it is also an amazingly fun LEGO-based engineering kit that’s perfect for kids who love LEGO! 

There are several different LEGO STEM activity kits by this publisher, and each book comes with the specialized LEGO pieces needed to bring the included activities to life. The books themselves do a pretty good job of explaining what’s happening in each project, and it is super satisfying to see everything working when it’s all put together. 

Fun Engineering Projects And Activities

While books about engineering for kids are great, the best way to teach kids engineering is to let them practice solving problems and building models in the real world!

These are some really awesome engineering kids projects and activities that you can do with your kids, each of which I have personally done with my own kids, more than once. Each one has its own challenges, and they can get a bit messy at times, but that’s all part of the fun!  

For younger engineers, I definitely suggest a healthy dose of adult supervision, especially when cutting things.  

Make a Parachute

Suggested Ages: 4+ 

Who didn’t play with those little parachute toys as a kid? This engineering challenge is all about making a plastic bag parachute to safely carry a small weight or action figure to the ground. Making one that works well can be a bit tricky for the youngest engineers, but with a little trial and error, you should be able to get it going!

Red Cabbage pH Testing

Suggested Ages: 4+

This is some fun chemical engineering for kids where they make a pH-testing liquid out of red cabbage juice. If done properly, the tester will change colors depending on the pH levels of the liquids it’s exposed to. It’s a pretty simple experiment and really cool glimpse into chemistry!  

Rubber Band Paddle Boat

Suggested Ages: 5+

This boat uses the tension from wound rubber bands to propel itself across the surface of the water like a small motorboat. It’s a fairly simple concept that can be expanded upon by older kids, and it ends up being a ton of fun!

Basic Electrical Circuit

Suggested Ages: 5+

Electricity can be pretty hard to understand for something that is literally all around us, but if your kids are interested in learning about it, this is where you start. Once you’ve explained the basic circuit, it’s pretty easy to build upon that knowledge. You can add switches, or even use a small battery powered motor instead of lights to really get things moving. 

Egg Drop Challenge

Suggested Ages: 6+

The egg drop challenge is a classic kids engineering challenge that involves building a container for an egg that will keep it safe when dropped from somewhere high. With younger kids, I suggest dropping the egg from eye level, but I’ve seen drop challenges where the eggs have been dropped from rooftops or even from helicopter doors.  

Cardboard Robotic Hydraulic Arm

Suggested Ages: 7+

We’ve done this one several times at this point, and each time I’m struck by how cool it is! 

Building the arm does require a good bit of cutting out cardboard and there’s super glue involved, so definitely provide support for younger engineers. 

If you don’t want to cut pieces out yourself, there are some hydraulic arm kits you can buy online that will help teach the same principles, but I’ve not personally purchased any, so I don’t have a specific one to suggest. 

Have fun!

Engineering Classes For Kids

Engineering is a HUGE field and, at some point, it becomes a lot easier to set kids up in engineering classes instead of teaching it all on your own. Luckily, there are plenty of places out there that do an amazing job of providing resources and classes for kids interested in digging deeper. 

Engineering for Kids 

Suggested Ages: 4-14 

Engineering for Kids has some of the most comprehensive engineering class sets that you can find including both in-person and virtual classes covering a huge variety of engineering concepts and programs. 

Engineering for Kids offers programs with focuses on everything from Aerospace engineering to Robotics, so there’s sure to be something worth looking into. 

Outschool Engineering Classes

Suggested Ages: 4+ 

Outschool is a virtual learning platform that offers video chat-based classes on pretty much every subject you could possibly think about. I’ve used them several times with our kids and have mostly been impressed, but it is worth pointing out that while individual classes may be outstanding, the quality of the class highly depends on the competence of the specific teacher leading it. Be sure to check different teachers’ reviews before signing up for a class to be sure you’re getting exactly what you need. 

Kids Can CAD 3D-Printing Class

Suggested Ages: 7-17

Computer Assisted Drawing (CAD) programs are tools that real-world engineers and architects use to create 3D models of their projects. Kids can CAD leans into teaching kids how to use these tools for creating 3D printable models that they’ve designed themselves! 

3D printing is set to increase in popularity and usefulness as time goes on, so getting the opportunity to learn these skills early is amazing. 

CodeWizardsHQ Coding Classes for kids

Suggested Ages:  8-18

Coding is an increasingly important skill both in engineering and in the workplace in general, and CodeWizardsHQ is easily one of the best online learning platforms around for teaching your kids to code. Unlike many single-course coding programs, CodeWizardsHQ is a complete coding curriculum with live instructors that takes kids from complete beginners to competent coders. 

They have a 93% student success rate and even have an internship program for their older students that gets their students real-world work experience! It’s an amazing program for kids of all ages and one of the absolute best programs for teaching coding for high school students, no matter their experience levels.   

The post What Is Engineering For Kids? appeared first on CodeWizardsHQ.

There are few games around with as large of a following as Fortnite. In part, that’s because it does an excellent job of creating a space where kids can hang out with their friends, and in part, it’s because Fortnite does a great job of creating varied content to keep things fresh. 

But mostly it’s just because Fortnite is a whole lot of fun, as the best games always are!

That “fun factor” also means that buying Fortnite gifts is a great choice for parents who have kids who love the game!  

23 Fortnite Gifts for Kids that Boys and Girls Will Love

Of course, there are tons of great Fortnite gifts for kids out there, so it can be difficult to know just what to get your Fortnite fan. 

No worries! We’ve got you covered with this list of great Fortnite gifts for boys or girls of all ages. Check them out below.

1. Fortnite Battle Bus Deluxe

Ages: 8+

Every Fortnite battle starts off on the Battle Bus, so it seems like this Deluxe Battle Bus is the perfect start to any Fortnite fan’s toy collection! It’s a 14-inch replica of the game’s Battle Bus and comes with 2 different Fortnite action figures and room for 8 more to hop on board.

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2. Fortnite Micro Legendary Series Squad Mode

Ages: 8+

Of course, once you have the bus, you’re also going to want some action figures to fill it up! 

This is a 4-pack of Fortnite figurines complete with their own gathering tools and ready to squad up for an exciting Battle Royale match. These 4-inch figures are the correct size to fit in the Battle Bus above, but there are other sizes of action figures if you prefer. 

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3. Fortnite – Bombs Away! Glider

Ages: 8+

This motorized glider rolls around the room at random, taking its rider with it. It comes with a Fortnite action figure of its own but is compatible with any of the 4-inch figures. They can’t control the glider’s direction, but it will change direction on its own if it detects an obstacle, which is pretty cool!

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4. Fortnite Baller Radio-Controlled Vehicle

Ages: 8+

If you’re looking for a vehicle with a little more control, check out this RC Baller, complete with space for your favorite 4-inch Fortnite figure. Once again, it comes with its own action figure, in case you don’t already have a favorite, but the vehicle itself is definitely the highlight here. 

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5. Fortnite Agent’s Room: Agent Peely

Ages: 8+

All that’s left to get to be able to recreate your favorite Fortnite moments is a stage where your kids can have their battle. Luckily, Agent Peely has their back. 

The Fortnite Agent’s Room playset not only provides a place to battle but also comes with weapons and accessories, plus two more figures to round out their Fortnite character roster.  

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6. Fortnite 7″ Llama Loot Plush

Ages: 6+

If you’d rather give your Fortnite fan something to squeeze instead of an action figure, this 7-inch tall Loot Llama is perfectly plush and ready for action. It doesn’t actually come with any loot, but since it’s so soft, that’s definitely forgivable. 

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7. Funko Pop Fortnite Collectibles

Ages: 8+

Funko Pops are extremely collectible with figures from every pop culture phenomenon you can think of, including Fortnite. These are great Fortnite gifts for boys and girls who want to show off their love for Fortnite with cool collectibles, but don’t necessarily want action figures to play with. 

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8. Fortnite Victory Royale Series Fade Mask Collectible

Ages: 8+

The Fade skin was a legendary skin from Fortnite a few seasons ago, but it remains a popular one. This collectible mask is a perfect Fortnite gift for kids who want to bring an awesome-looking mask into the real world! Whether for cosplay or just as a collectible, this is a great addition to any Fortnite collection.

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9. Fortnite Trading Cards 

Ages: 8+

Collectible cards have been popular for pretty much forever, and so obviously popular games like Fortnite would get their own version. These trading cards include a variety of Fortnite characters and tools to collect and trade with friends, though which ones you get depends entirely on your luck. 

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10. Magic the Gathering: Fortnite Secret Lair Cards

Ages: 13+

Of course, not all cards are solely for collecting. If your Fortnite fan is also a fan of the Magic the Gathering card game, these are the cards you’re looking for!

The Secret Lair Cards are part of a limited run of cards put out by Wizards of the Coast that lets Magic players put locations and spells from Fortnite into their deck. This is super cool, and will be an amazing gift for Fortnite fans!

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11. Fortnite Monopoly

Ages: 8+

Not a Magic the Gathering fan but still want some Fortnite goodness in boardgame form? Not to worry, Hasbro has your back!

Monopoly is well-known for having a variety of amazing themes, and the Fortnite version brings everyone’s favorite Battle Royale to its board. 

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12. Nerf Super Soaker Fortnite HG Water Blaster

Ages: 8+

Super Soakers are some of the best water guns out there, making this collaboration between them and Fortnite an easy win. There are actually several different Fortnite water guns put out by Super Soakers, so if you’re looking for a great Fortnite-themed pool activity, grab a few as a gift that is sure to please. 

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13. NERF Fortnite Heavy SR Blaster

Ages: 8+

If you’d prefer not to get wet, NERF has several Fortnite dart blasters as well. The Heavy SR blaster is my personal favorite since it’s a huge NERF gun and includes a clip capable of firing off 6 darts. These are a ton of fun, and let kids take their Fortnite fandom outside for a while. 

There’s also this 2-pack of blasters, if you’re looking to start your own Battle Royale right away!

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14. Fortnite Baseball Cap

Ages: All ages

Ball caps are functional, fashionable, and, at least with these, a great way to show off a love for Fortnite. These particular hats are sized for kids and come in a variety of great Fortnite-themed designs. 

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15. Fortnite T-Shirt

Ages: All ages

Graphic t-shirts are another surefire way to show off your Fortnite fan’s love of the game. There are several different designs floating around on Amazon, but I particularly liked this Fortnite Totem design featuring several fan-favorite characters. No matter what their sense of style, there’s sure to be a design that fits!

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16. Fortnite Hooded Sweatshirt

Ages: All ages

This Fortnite Hooded Sweatshirt is a perfect choice for the gamer that likes to stay toasty while showing off a love of Fortnite. It’s made from thick, cotton material and features a warm hood and a spacious front pocket for keeping hands warm making it a particularly good gift during the cold, winter months. 

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17. Fortnite Graphic Wallet

Ages: All ages

If you’re looking for a practical Fortnite gift for kids that they could still get behind, be sure to consider these graphic wallets. They’re a great choice for kids who are learning the importance of money, yet remain tons of fun with Fortnite patterns printed over the outside.  

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18. 3D Fortnite Battlebus Game Room Light

Ages: All ages

Gaming in a dark room can put a strain on the eyes, so, in a way, you could say that getting this light is an investment in your gamer’s health. Though, really, it’s just an amazingly cool holographic display that would look right at home in any gamer’s den.  

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19. Fortnite Official Loot Pack

Ages: 8+

The Official Loot Pack includes stickers, patches, pins, and magnets of different Fortnite symbols and icons, which makes it a fun choice for kids looking to decorate their stuff. It’s not a lot of loot, but it makes a fun little gift for fans of the game.

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20. Official Fortnite: The Chronicle 2023 Annual

Ages: 10+

The Annual Chronicle is a yearly book put out by Epic Games that compiles all the best moments from that year’s gameplay and sticks it in a book where fans can reminisce about the fun they had. This year’s book comes out in mid-December, and promises to be filled to the brim with some awesome Fortnite moments. 

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21. Razer Kishi Controller for Fortnite on the go

Ages: 8+

This is probably the priciest gift on this list, but its sure to be a hit for any Fortnite Fan who wants to take their game on the go. The Kishi controller adds physical buttons to an Android or iOS phone so kids can play Fortnite, or other mobile-friendly games, right on their phone. 

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22. Fortnite Legends Packs

Ages: Rated Teen

Fortnite Legends Packs are essentially collections containing Fortnite skins and cosmetic goods that can be redeemed in-game. Different packs have different skins, so you need to make sure the specific pack you get is something they’ll actually want, but this is the only way to get some in-game items, so there’s a good chance they have their eye on at least one of them.

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23. Fortnite V-bucks

Ages: Rated Teen

Or, you could just buy them some V-bucks and let them pick their own cosmetic items from the in-game store! Despite the fact that cosmetic items don’t change anything about the gameplay, they are still highly desirable items for many players since it gives them ways to set themselves apart from the competition. If your kid loves Fortnite, they almost certainly would love to get some V-bucks.

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Tips for choosing the best Fortnite gifts for kids 

Choosing the best possible gift for your Fortnite-loving boy or girl is about a lot more than picking the first Fortnite-themed item you see. 

A large part of the appeal of Fortnite comes from the ability to customize your character with skins that show the other players a little about your personality and preferences. Similarly, it’s super important to keep your kids’ preferences in mind as you flip through these Fortnite gifts. 

Younger kids might really like the action figures I suggested at the beginning of the list, while older kids might not. Similarly, books like the 2023 Chronicle might not appeal as much to younger kids as it does to older ones who like to look back and reminisce on the year. 

That doesn’t necessarily hold true for every kid, though. Some kids love flipping through books and I definitely know adults who enjoy collecting action figures. Ultimately, it comes down to knowing who you’re shopping for. 

It’s also important to make sure you get gifts for the right platform, as well, if you’re getting virtual gifts. Once they’ve been redeemed, virtual gifts will work cross-platform, but buying a redemption code for the Playstation version of the game if your kid is playing on an Xbox will make things a lot harder than it needs to be.

Ultimately, the best Fortnite gifts for your kids will be something that they find fun, that fits within your budget, and that will serve them well over a period of weeks or years, instead of just days. 

The post Top Fortnite Gifts for Boys and Girls appeared first on CodeWizardsHQ.

There are few games out there with as enduring a legacy as Minecraft. Despite the game’s low-graphics blocky look, Minecraft has been capturing the imagination of kids around the world since 2011 and become one of the most-loved games of all time. 

Which is exactly why Minecraft gifts are such a perfect choice for kids! 

Favorite Minecraft Gifts for Kids 

As a game, Minecraft leans hard into creativity and personalization, and many of the gifts in this guide expand on those themes. This isn’t just a list of Minecraft toys to play with (you can get that here), but rather a list of different kinds of gifts you can buy for Minecraft fans of all ages. 

1. Minecraft Camp

For ages 11 and up

A fun and practical gift, kids can join a 1-week Minecraft camp with CodeWizardsHQ. Intro to Redstone Logic in Minecraft introduces kids to redstone, an element used for mechanical and electrical programming in Minecraft. A great introduction to coding that will get kids excited to learn what else programming can do.

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2. Minecraft Guide Collection 4-pack

For ages 7 and up

This Minecraft Guide Collection pack is a great gift for kids looking to improve their Minecraft game. Each of the four books is filled with tips and tricks to help your kid survive and thrive in the perilous world of Minecraft. Plus, they do a great job of scratching that Minecraft itch even during those times when your kid can’t get online, making them a perfect companion for road trips!    

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3. Minecraft: The Island, Book or Audiobook 

For ages 8-12

If your kids are looking for an amazing story set in the Minecraft world, this is the book you’re looking for. It’s the first of the official Minecraft novels, written by author Max Brooks (World War Z), and it is an excellent read!

I highly suggest getting the audiobook version narrated by Jack Black, as he absolutely kills it. 

And while the recommended reading age is 8-12, don’t let that scare you off. While there are some tense moments, my son loved the audiobook version at age 5 and I found it entertaining even as an adult.  

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4. 6-Inch Minecraft Llama Bookends

For ages 14 and up 

Actually, there are a ton of Minecraft book options out there, and many of them are worth a look. But when it comes to keeping all of them organized and looking good, why not continue with the Minecraft theme? 

These Minecraft Llama bookends are both super fun and functional and would look great in any Minecraft fan’s room.

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5. The End Battle Lego Set

For ages 7 and up

LEGO sets are perfect real-world counterparts for the Minecraft game, and this Ender Dragon Set does a great job of recreating one of the most iconic battles in the game. Kids will have a blast putting together the epic Ender Dragon, and, as a bonus, this set includes a virtual code to get the exclusive dragon-slayer skin to use in their own Minecraft worlds!  

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6. LEGO Minecraft Crafting Box

For ages 8 and up

The LEGO Minecraft Crafting Box is a huge 8-in-1 LEGo set that gives kids the chance to build all sorts of amazing Minecraft scenes. It is one of the larger Minecraft LEGO sets available, with over 500 pieces, and includes a Steve mini-fig and exclusive blocks like the diamond pickaxe, lapis lazuli, and a mooshroom cow.  

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Recommended: How to Make a Minecraft Server

7. Steve Big Fig LEGO Set

For ages 7 and up

While LEGO recommends this set for kids 7 and up, I personally love this set as a gift for older kids who want to show off their love for Minecraft. There are three BigFig sets to collect, with each figure standing over 5 inches tall, and they look great displayed on a shelf.

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8. Ravensburger Minecraft: Builders & Biomes Strategy Board Game 

For ages 10 and up

The Builders & Biomes game takes the Minecraft theme and turns it into an exciting resource collection board game for 2-4 players. It’s a perfect choice for a family game night, with a setup that changes each game and tons of different strategies for success. Plus, when you’re ready, there’s an expansion to add even more variability to your game! 

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9. Ravensburger Minecraft Heroes of The Village Board Game

For ages 6 and up

Not feeling competitive gameplay with your kids? Perhaps Heroes of the Village would be a better fit! Instead of a competition to see who wins, this game is a cooperative game where your family works together to defeat the Illagers and save the day! 

On a personal note, my family loves cooperative games and this is the game that’s in my shopping cart right now.  

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10. Minecraft UNO

For ages 7 and up

If you aren’t keen to learn an entirely new game but still want to add some Minecraft-themed goodness to your family game time, you can’t go wrong with this take on the classic UNO card game. 

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11. Minecraft Axolotl Plush

For ages 3 and up

This Minecraft Axolotl plushie is undeniably cute, making it an excellent choice for any younger fans of the game. Of course, if your kid prefers a different Minecraft critter, there are tons of other plushie options available. Pick the one that’s right for them, and get them a brand new Minecraft companion in real life! 

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12. Minecraft SquishMe toys

For ages 3 and up

These Minecraft SquishMe toys are the Minecraft equivalent of a stress ball that kids can squish to calm down. For some extra sensory stimulation, this particular set also has a different fun scent for each character and a glittery sheen. 

While this set comes with 6 figures, you can also buy them individually.   

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13. Ender Dragon Treasure X Kit

For ages 5 and up

One of the best parts of Minecraft is the sense of discovery that comes with exploring new worlds. These Treasure X Kits work to recapture that feeling in the real world by giving kids the possibility of finding a real gold-dipped treasure! 

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14. NERF MicroShots Minecraft Ghast Mini Blaster

For ages 8 and up

This is a fun mini-NERF blaster modeled after the Minecraft Ghast mob found in the Nether. The blaster is easy to load and comes with two NERF Elite Dart making it perfect for target practice. It’s a unique and fun addition to any Minecraft collection!  

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15. Deluxe Netherite Sword

For ages 6 and up

Diamond swords are so last update. This Deluxe Netherite Sword is the new best Minecraft sword, and a perfect accessory for kids who enjoy imaginative play, or for older kids who want to show off their love of the game. 

This particular sword also features authentic sounds from the game and soft foam edges to keep kids from hurting each other. 

Buy Now

16. Minecraft Piggy Bank

For ages 14 and up

Any adventurer knows that when it comes to keeping your treasures safe, you need a place to keep them. This Minecraft take on the classic piggy bank is sure to do the trick! 

It’s made out of lightweight plastic and has a stopper in the belly for easy coin retrieval, so you’re treasures are always at hand. 

Buy Now

17. Minecraft Brown Chest 13-Inch Storage Bin

For all ages

Of course, not all treasures fit in a piggy bank. For all the rest, there’s this Minecraft Brown Chest!

This 13-inch storage bin is modeled after the basic chest in the Minecraft game, making it a perfect fit for a Minecraft-themed bedroom or gaming area. 

Buy Now

18. Minecraft Caved-In Wall Decal

For ages 4-13

There are a handful of different wall decals to choose from, but I especially like this Caved-In Wall Decal from Roomscapes because it makes it look like Steve, Alex, and their pets are looking straight at you from the wall. For a Minecraft fan, it’s an especially awesome fourth-wall break!

Buy Now

19. Minecraft Decorative Pillow Cover TNT

For all ages

This decorative pillow cover is a great choice for a Minecraft-themed game area, bedroom, or anywhere else where you want to add some Minecraft flair. It comes in several different varieties, but the TNT cover is my personal favorite. 

These pillowcases are soft and durable and work best as a cover for a 16×16-inch pillow.

Buy Now

20. Minecraft Yellow Bee Nest Block Desk Lamp with 3D Bee Puller

For ages 4 and up

This Minecraft Beehive Desk Lamp may very well be my new pick for the best-looking lamp ever. 

Its bright colors are great for lighting up a room, while the Minecraft theme makes it a great choice for any gaming fan. The best part is the 3D chain pull shaped like a Minecraft bee ready to pollinate some flowers. 

Buy Now

21. Minecraft T-Shirts

For all ages

When I was a kid, I didn’t much care for getting clothes as a gift, but that’s probably because no one gave me shirts as cool as these! There are a ton of great shirts available online, so there are sure to be at least a few that fit your kid’s style. I personally loved this Miner’s Society shirt  on Amazon.

Buy Now

22. Minecraft: Minecoins Packs

For all ages

Of course, if you want a gift that is guaranteed to please, there’s very little that a true Minecraft fan wants more than even more Minecraft. 

Minecoins are the in-game currency used to buy new maps, texture packs, and skins in the Minecraft store for any of the Bedrock versions of the game. Do note that if your kid plays the Java version, these aren’t for them. Instead, they can download mods for free, or even learn to code their own!  

Buy Now

Choose the Best Minecraft Gift

Minecraft is one of those games that has near-universal appeal since it offers so many different ways to play. Kids who enjoy fighting games have tons of zombies and skeletons to fight. Kids who love exploration can discover underwater temples or hidden underground cities. And kids who just want to play with blocks can dive into creative mode and build to their hearts’ content!

That versatility is great, but it also means there’s not really a one-size-fits-all kind of solution for choosing the best Minecraft gift. It’s important to think about the individual kid and what they enjoy about the game when choosing what to get.

For example, my son has really been enjoying defending the villages against zombies recently. He loves pretending that he is a mighty warrior, so something like the NERF blaster or Netherite sword would be tons of fun for him. My daughter, on the other hand, likes building farms in creative mode. We turn the enemies off completely so she doesn’t even have to look at a zombie. She would adore some of the Minecraft plush toys, or the piggy bank. 

Both of them enjoy flipping through Minecraft building guides and both would love decorating their rooms with Minecraft goodies. 

The easiest way to guide your decision is to find out about the parts of the game your kids love and why. Good luck!

The post 22 Minecraft Gifts for Kids They’ll Love appeared first on CodeWizardsHQ.

Despite having been around since way back in 2006, a veritable eternity in digital time, Roblox is still going strong with over 43 million daily active users in 2021. With such a huge fanbase, it’s no surprise that there are so many great Roblox gifts for kids out there. 

In fact, there are so many that it can be a bit overwhelming to find just the right one for the Roblox fan in your life! Luckily, we’ve, ahem, been around the block a few times, and know exactly the best Roblox gifts for kids who can’t get enough of the game. 

If you’re in the market for some Roblox-inspired gifts that are sure to stack up, you’ve come to the right place!   

13 Roblox Gifts for Kids 

As a platform, Roblox encourages kids to explore, collect, and make up their own fun, and this list leans into those patterns as well. Each of the gifts on this list would be fun for any Roblox fan, boy or girl.

So, without further ado, here are the best Roblox gifts for kids!  

Roblox Camp

Kids ages 8-13 can join a 1-week Roblox camp with CodeWizardsHQ. Intro to Roblox Game Development takes their love of Roblox to the next level by building their own Obby game. It’s a fun and interactive class where they will learn how to build games in Roblox studio and basic programming concepts with Lua.

$499 at CodeWizardsHQ – Buy Now

Roblox Ultimate Guide Collection

Roblox has a huge variety of games on its platform, each with its own objectives and style of play. That diversity is part of what makes it great, but can also be a bit overwhelming. This Roblox Ultimate Guide Collection brings together 3 hardback books filled with tips, tricks, secrets, and more for each of over 120 of the most popular Roblox experiences out there. It includes the books Roblox Top Adventure Games, Roblox Top Role-Playing Games, and Roblox Top Battle Games, each of which can be purchased separately if you wish.  

$42.99 on Amazon – Buy Now

Roblox “Where’s the Noob?” Book

“Where’s the Noob?” is a fun new take on the “Where’s Waldo?” book series where readers search out the popular Roblox character Classic Noob. Each search-and-find puzzle is set in different worlds inspired by some of the most popular Roblox games and the book includes hundreds of different items to find for some serious Roblox fun even when offline. 

$21.25 on Amazon – Buy Now

Roblox Book Set 

With a similar feel to the popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, these Diary of a Roblox Noob books are a great offline option for younger Roblox fans. The 5 books included in this box set contain over 500 total pages of Roblox-themed fun at a lower price than if you were to buy them individually. 

$43.93 at Amazon – Buy Now

NERF Roblox Adopt Me!: Bees! Blaster

The design of this particular NERF blaster is inspired by the Roblox game “Adopt Me!”, which just so happens to be on our list of 9 Best Roblox Games for Kids. NERF guns are tons of fun, and the addition of the Roblox theming makes it extra cool. Plus, while the appeal of blasting each other with NERF darts in real life is always there, this particular line of NERF blasters also comes with codes that can be redeemed online for in-game Roblox items, too! 

$12.89 at Amazon – Buy Now

Roblox Action Collection – Collector’s Tool Box and Carry Case

Many of the different Roblox games feature gameplay centered around collecting things, and this Collector’s Carry Case brings that same principle to the real world. It can hold up to 32 of the Roblox Action Collection figures and comes with 2 of its own. Plus, like with the NERF blasters, there’s also a code included that can be redeemed for special in-game items that they can show off to their friends!

$19.99 at Amazon – Buy Now

15th Anniversary Roblox Icons Gold Collector’s Set

If you’re planning on getting the Collector’s Case (or even if you aren’t), you can’t go wrong grabbing one of the many different Roblox Action Collection sets! 

There are a ton of different sets that you can get, each with its own characters and accessories, but I’m putting the 15th Anniversary Gold Set because it’s one of those things that won’t be around forever. And once again, there is also an included code so your Roblox fan can show off their gifts online!

$21.98 at Amazon – Buy Now

Monopoly Roblox

If you’re gamer is also a fan of games in the real world, this-Roblox themed Monopoly could be just the thing. The different properties on the board are named after the most popular Roblox games, and players get to choose from a variety of Roblox game pieces. Plus, you guessed it, there’s a code included for exclusive in-game items!

$19.99 at Amazon – Buy Now

Noob Skater Pullover Hoodie

As fun as it is for them to dress up their in-game avatars, sometimes getting some real-world merch can be cool, too! There are a ton of great Roblox clothing designs available online, but this Noob Skater Hoodie caught my eye as something I would get my own kids. If this particular design doesn’t strike your fancy, don’t worry! There’s almost certainly something that will fit your style. 

$31.99 at Amazon – Buy Now

The Full Color Tile Print Roblox Backpack

This Roblox-themed backpack features an all-over comic print design perfect for fans of the game. It also has a large interior pocket with a built-in laptop sleeve so Roblox fans can take their game on the go! Or, go to school. Whichever. 

$35.99 at Amazon – Buy Now

Gaming Setup bundle for PC

If there’s one thing that almost any Roblox fan would appreciate, it’s an upgrade to their gaming setup. Especially when kids are spending a ton of time on the computer, having a keyboard that has tactile keypresses and a smooth, accurate mouse makes a ton of difference in how the gaming experience feels. This mouse and keyboard bundle from Red Dragon has more than 40,000 ratings and four and a half stars on Amazon, proving that it has what it takes to be a great gift for a Roblox fan. 

$35.98 at Amazon – Buy Now

Game Controller Wall Mount

Or, if you’re a Roblox fan who prefers playing with a controller, maybe giving that controller a place of honor could be a good idea. Personally, I love this controller and headphones wall mount for adding a touch of organization to my life. It lets me put the controller away easily when I’m not using it, but keeps it right at hand in case I want to hop into a game. 

16.99 at Amazon – Buy Now

Robux Virtual Currency

Of course, minimalism is super in-style at the moment, so if you’d prefer not to get them more physical stuff, perhaps you could lean into the virtual nature of Roblox. Robux is the in-game currency for Roblox, and is used for purchasing everything from cosmetic items, to game-specific bonuses and boosts, to private servers where kids can play with their friends and only their friends. Essentially, it lets them take the game they already love and make it better. Win!

$10-$200 at Amazon – Buy Now

The post Must-Have Roblox Gifts for Kids appeared first on CodeWizardsHQ.

There aren’t many games today that have been around as long as Roblox, released in 2006, and yet it remains an extremely popular choice among kids even today! A large part of that success is due to the fact that Roblox is much more than a simple game. best roblox games for kids.

Roblox is a gaming platform with over 40 million free and fun games to play from within a single ecosystem. Each one has its own gameplay and challenges, though each one works within Roblox itself. 

You can even code your own game in Roblox using Roblox Studio. During the Roblox summer camp, kids learn to code and publish their own obstacle course game (or obby), but that’s just one type of game. There are RPGs, FPSs, platformers, puzzles, and more fun games to play on Roblox, all available on one platform. 

So, which games are fun and safe for your child? Let’s take a look at the best games for kids on Roblox!  

9 Best Roblox Games for Kids

Free and fun games to play on Roblox right now!

1. Adopt Me!
2. Scuba Diving at Quill Lake
3. Hide and Seek Extreme
4. Dragon Adventures
5. Science Simulator
6. Theme Park Tycoon 2
7. Murder Mystery 2
8. RoBeats
9. World Zero

1. Adopt Me!

Adopt Me! is one of the most popular Roblox games of all time, with literally millions of users logging in every day to play. The game is all about adopting, caring for, and loving your very own virtual pet. Taking care of your pets also earns you in-game money that can be used to get new pets.

Age recommendation: All Ages, Suitable for everyone

Why kids love it:

Adopt Me! features tons of cute pets, simple gameplay that’s easy to pick up, and a huge online community to interact with, all of which make it a hit with kids.

Gameplay video:

Play Adopt Me

2. Scuba Diving at Quill Lake

This is an excellent example of the popular “diving” genre of games. It’s set in the beautiful and peaceful Quill Lake where players will use a variety of tools to explore the lake to find all sorts of hidden treasures and secrets. Each discovery can be sold for coins that can then be used to upgrade your gear, giving you access to even more locations to explore!

Age recommendation: All Ages, Suitable for everyone

Why kids love it:

The underwater setting is gorgeous, and the many secrets to uncover lend a sense of exploration and discovery to the game.

Gameplay video:

Play Scuba Diving at Quill Lake

3. Hide and Seek Extreme

Hide and Seek Extreme is a Roblox classic, and for good reason! It’s a simple but extremely fun game of hide-and-seek, with one team hiding and the other seeking. The twist is that the hiders can transform the game’s environment to make it harder for the seekers to find them.

Age recommendation: All Ages, Suitable for everyone

Why kids love it:

The game’s flexible style allows for lots of creativity, while competitive gameplay gives seekers a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment when they finally catch the hiders.

Gameplay video:

Play Hide and Seek Extreme

4. Dragon Adventures

In Dragon Adventures, players must explore the world, complete quests, and collect treasure, all while learning how to fly and battle with their dragons. The game is packed with dragons of all shapes and sizes to collect, and in-world events keep things interesting. 

Age Recommendation: 9+

Why kids love it:

Dragons are awesome! Plus, the game world is huge and open, which makes flying around on your dragon and fighting mobs a ton of fun. 

Gameplay video:

Play Dragon Adventures

5. Science Simulator

Science Simulator is a creature collection game where players can hatch a wide variety of pets from different quality eggs. Its gameplay is mostly focused on gaining resources through clicking, and then spending those resources on upgrades that increase your resource production. While it seems simple, there are a lot of choices as to what kinds of upgrades you want to buy, as well as what kinds of pets you want to try for. 

Age Recommendation: N/A

Why kids love it: 

The variety of pet styles that can be collected in the game means kids have a chance to show off their work through unique and rare pets. 

Gameplay video:

Play Science Simulator

6. Theme Park Tycoon 2

In Theme Park Tycoon 2, players design and build their own theme park, complete with rides, shops, and other attractions. The game is all about creativity and kids can spend hours making their park as unique and awesome as possible.

Age Recommendation: All Ages, Suitable for everyone

Why kids love it:

They get to be in charge of their own theme park and can build whatever they want. It’s a great outlet for creativity, and tons of fun!

Gameplay video:

Play Theme Park Tycoon 2

7. Murder Mystery 2

Murder Mystery 2 is a game of deduction and diplomacy, where players must solve a murder mystery by gathering clues and evidence. The game features an ever-changing cast of characters, so no two games are ever the same.

Age Recommendation: N/A

Why kids love it: 

Deduction games are a great way to be social. The challenge of trying to solve the mystery, the opportunity to play with friends, and the constant change keeps the game interesting. 

Gameplay video:

Play Murder Mystery 2

8. RoBeats

RoBeats is a rhythm game where players must match the beat of the music by tapping the screen. The game features an ever-growing library of songs, ranging from pop to classical, and players can even create their own custom beats. 

Age Recommendation: All Ages, Suitable for everyone

Why kids love it: 

Great music, a simple but addictive gameplay, and the ability to create custom beats all lend themselves well to providing a fun experience. 

Gameplay video:

Play RoBeats

9. World Zero

World Zero is an online multiplayer role-playing game where players can team up or fight against each other in a variety of fantasy worlds. The game features a wide variety of classes and weapons, and players can even ride around on mounts to get to areas faster. 

Age Recommendation: All Ages, Violence (Mild/Infrequent)

Why kids love it: 

Fast-paced combat-driven gameplay, a cool setting, and a ton of customization options all combine to make this one a great choice for kids looking to be challenged.

Gameplay video:

Play World Zero

As you can see, the Roblox ecosystem allows for a wide variety of great games for kids in one place. Each one uses the same parental controls, chat filters, and other safety features that keep kids safe while playing. This means that Roblox can offer a safe experience for kids while still letting them explore different playstyles!

However, you should definitely take note that there is always some risk when playing online games with other people. Be sure to take all appropriate precautions.

Are Roblox games free to play? 

At the most basic level, yes, all Roblox games are free to play.

However, many games have optional in-game purchases that can be purchased using real money. These purchases can do a variety of things, but usually they will give players an advantage in the game or unlock new content, such as new levels or cosmetic gear. 

Features of Roblox Games

Roblox has a surprising number of core features that make it an excellent choice for kids looking for fun games to play. The biggest advantage has already been mentioned: it’s (mostly) free to play. But there are plenty of other great features that help it to stay popular despite its age.

Roblox is Personal

One of the more interesting aspects of Roblox is that since everything happens on the same platform, kids can bring their own personalized avatar with them between games. Costume items from the Avatar Shop can be purchased as well and used across all the different Roblox games. That means that kids can express themselves through their avatar in a way that isn’t always possible on other platforms!

Roblox is Multiplayer

As a multiplayer internet-based game, Roblox is a great way to play with friends online. Chat features allow kids to stay in contact with friends, while a wide variety of games means friends can play with (or against!) each other as much as they like.

Even better, Roblox is available across multiple different platforms, so kids can play with their friends even if they don’t have the same kind of device!

Roblox is Varied

There are millions of different Roblox games to choose from, so there’s something for everyone, no matter what they’re looking for. At the same time, Roblox keeps a fairly consistent UI (User Interface) across its platform, making new games easy to pick up.

Roblox is Creative

Many of the games in Roblox focus on the creative aspects of the platform, allowing their players to explore their creativity through gameplay. But even better is that Roblox also includes creative tools for building your own games. That means that even if your kid can’t find the exact game they want, they can go out and build it themselves!

Start Coding Roblox Games 

For kids who want to make their own game come to life, it can be good to have help getting started. At CodeWizardsHQ’s 1-week online Roblox Coding Summer Camp kids dive into Roblox Studio and build their own Obby to play by the end of camp.

The summer Roblox camp is 5 days of live, online classes with an expert instructor. It’s a fun introduction to game development and coding fundamentals. 

Whether your child wants to build games or just play, Roblox is the ideal platform. With such a tremendous array of features and games, it is easy to see why Roblox remains a popular choice among gamers today. And who knows? With a few lessons and a bit of practice, maybe the Roblox game that your kid makes will be featured in the best Roblox games of tomorrow!

The post 9 Best Roblox Games for Kids – Free and Fun! appeared first on CodeWizardsHQ.