Game makers for kids, by age and device
The right game maker for a kid depends on two things: their age and the device in the house. Here is a plain guide for parents, with what each tool teaches and what it needs. If you consider Roam, check its age rating in the App Store first.
By age
- Ages 5 to 7: ScratchJr. A free tablet app with picture blocks. Kids make characters move and talk without reading much. It runs on iPad, Android and Amazon tablets.
- Ages 8 and up: Scratch. Free block coding that started at the MIT Media Lab and is now run by the nonprofit Scratch Foundation. Built on the website or the Scratch app for Windows, Mac, ChromeOS and Android. The best tool for learning logic.
- Older kids who want to code: Roblox Studio. Free, Windows and Mac only, scripted in Luau. Real game development, with a real learning curve.
- Roblox Build. A prompt-to-game tab in the Roblox mobile app, announced July 2026. Its public alpha began in New Zealand for age-checked users 9 and up. A base version is free.
- Roam. A free iPhone app where you describe a game and it comes back playable. Check the App Store age rating before installing it for a child.
Learning to code vs learning to design
Scratch and Studio teach how a game works inside: loops, variables, events. That is valuable and slow.
Describe-it tools teach a different skill: game design. To get a good game from Roam you have to say what the goal is, how you lose and what makes it hard. Kids who can say "the floor is lava, three lives, a checkpoint every five jumps" are already thinking like designers.
A good mix: test an idea fast by describing it, then rebuild the best part in Scratch to see how it really works.
Four questions before you pick
- What device do you have? Tablet: ScratchJr. Computer: Scratch or Studio. iPhone: Roam, after checking the rating.
- Is the goal learning or playing? Learning: Scratch. Playing their own idea today: a describe-it app.
- Who will they play with? Scratch has its own sharing site. Roblox and Roam have friends built in.
- How long will they stick with it? Short attention spans do better with fast results first.
See how describing a game works in Roam
Check the App Store age rating, then try one sentence together on iPhone.
Try: "the floor is lava in a giant living room, three lives, a checkpoint every five jumps"Questions people ask
What is the best free game maker for kids?
Scratch for ages 8 and up, and ScratchJr for ages 5 to 7. Both are free and built for learning.
Can a 7 year old make a video game?
Yes. ScratchJr is made for ages 5 to 7. Describe-it apps also work if the age rating fits your child.
Is Roam for kids?
Check Roam's age rating in the App Store before installing it for a child. The app is free.
Keep exploring
- Games where you can make your own games
- Free game makers and their real limits
- Scratch alternatives, including ones that work on a phone
- How to make games on iPhone
- Game maker apps come in two kinds
More on Roam: All Roam games Games to play, by kind