Build a simple game with your kid using AI

AI coding assistants can turn a clear description into a small, working game. That makes them a great way to build something with your kid. They come up with the idea and the rules; you handle the account and the typing; the AI writes the code. Every game on AI Kids Games started the same way, from a written brief.

Before you start

• The grown-up owns the AI account. Most AI assistants require an adult account, and some allow teens with a parent’s permission. You type, and your kid designs.
• Keep personal details out. Don’t put names, schools, photos or locations in what you type.
• You need: a computer with a web browser, an AI assistant that can write code, and about an hour.

Step 1: Design it on paper

Keep it tiny. Answer five questions together:

1. Who is the player?
2. What do they do?
3. What gets in the way?
4. How do you win?
5. What happens when you miss?

One screen and one goal is plenty for a first game. Draw it if that helps.

Step 2: Describe it to the AI

Be specific about the age, the controls and the rules, and ask for one self-contained HTML file. That way it runs on any computer, without installing anything or loading anything from the internet. Here is an example to copy and change:

“Make a small game for a 7-year-old as one HTML file with everything inside it: no images, libraries or anything loaded from the internet. A smiling basket at the bottom of the screen catches falling stars. Move the basket with the arrow keys, or by dragging a finger on a phone or tablet. Each star caught is worth 1 point; at 20 points show ‘You did it!’ and a Play again button. Missed stars just disappear: there is no losing. Use big, bright shapes and large text. Then tell me how to run it.”

Step 3: Run it

Save the code the assistant gives you as a file named game.html, then open it in your browser. If something doesn’t work, describe exactly what you see (“the basket doesn’t move when I press the arrow keys”) and ask for a fix.

Step 4: Play-test and change one thing at a time

Let your kid play and decide what to change next, one request at a time:

• “Make the stars fall a little slower.”
• “Add a rainbow star worth 5 points.”
• “Let me pick the basket’s color at the start.”

Small steps are easier to check, and when something breaks you know which change did it.

Step 5: Learn from the code

Ask the assistant to explain a part your kid cares about, in words they understand: “Explain the part that moves the basket, for a 9-year-old.” Try changing one number together, like the speed, and see what happens. That’s real programming.

Going further

When you’re ready for more, the AI Kids Games starter and game guide explains how our games stay kid-safe: one file, no network, saves on the device. The briefs show how each game on this site was described.