Little knight
- I’m the little knight. I hop rocks and slash
Creative screen time for kids
Screen time for their
“I made this!” moment.
Looking for something creative they can do on a screen? Makerplay helps kids create their own games. Your child invents characters, decides how the game works, and plays what they’ve made. A visual Game Board and guided help give them a place to turn those ideas into something playable.
Their choices change the game.
A character, a goal, a rule: every game starts with decisions your child gets to make. See how written ideas on game cards become a game.
Your child writes the rules
Goblins
- They wait in the orchard. Hop over them or slash
Skull knights
- They guard the ruins. Slow, but take 2 hits
The world
- Village first, then river, ruins, cave
Try your game! What should we change next?
Their idea becomes a playable game
Willow Square
...or anything!
Example game cards and recorded gameplay. In Makerplay, your child describes their own ideas, plays the result, and decides what to change.
How kids make a game in Makerplay
An idea. A Game Board.
A game they can play.
The Game Board holds cards for the characters, objects, and rules in their game. Each card describes what that part should do. Here’s how a small treasure hunt could take shape.
- 1
Describe their idea.
“A knight who collects crystals.” Your child puts the hero and goal on game cards. An AI coach helps them think through questions like how the player wins.
2Build it with AI.
Makerplay’s AI builder, Bolt, turns those instructions into a playable game. Your child supplies the ideas and rules; Bolt handles the code.
- 3
Play. Change. Play again.
Can’t reach the treasure? Add a double jump to the hero’s card, rebuild, and try again. Your child decides whether the change makes the game more fun.
That’s the creative part: imagining something, explaining how it works, and making decisions after trying it.
A question to try together
“What would make this part more fun?”
You don’t need to be the game designer
Be their first player.
Let your child explain the game. Try it, notice something specific, and give them room to decide what to change.
Makerplay’s AI coaches, Luna and Willy, help children put ideas into words. Bolt builds from their Game Board. You can help with reading or typing while leaving the choices with your child.
Meet the game-making teamGive this session a little purpose.
Decide together what you want to try. A finished experiment gives you something to talk about—and a place to pause.
One idea to test
Choose a small goal: invent a character, fix a tricky jump, or make an ending worth reaching.
Something to show you
Ask, “What did you change?” Let them show the rule and what happens when you play.
A place to stop
Agree on an endpoint before starting, such as one change and a playtest. Write down the next idea for another day.
Looking for a different way to think about screen time?
Our parent’s guide looks at the experience a game offers and the choices children get to make.
Before you sit down together.
What makes this creative screen time?
The activity asks your child to make decisions about something they’re building: how a character behaves, what a player needs to do, or what would make the next version more fun. Playing is part of testing their ideas.
Do I need to know how to code?
No. Your child describes the game through written instructions on the Game Board, and Makerplay handles the code. You can help them explain an idea and play the result without becoming their programming teacher.
Will I need to sit with my child the whole time?
That depends on how comfortably they read, write, and work through a new activity. Start together, see where they need help, and adjust. Children who need support can describe their choices aloud while you help enter them.
What if they only want to play games?
Begin with something they enjoy playing. Ask what they would change—a character, a rule, or an ending. The Arcade offers games to explore. An invitation to make one small change can be enough to start.
How do we choose a stopping point?
Agree on a small goal before beginning, alongside your family’s usual time boundaries. After a playtest, talk about what worked and jot down an idea for next time. A creative activity can still need a clear ending.
Can we try this without an account?
You can watch the examples above or explore games in the Arcade without an account. To start making your own projects in Makerplay, create a parent account.
Next time they ask to play,
make something together.
Create a parent account to get started. Then help your child choose one small game idea to bring to life in Makerplay.