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Stories from Buildaloo

What we're building, what kids are making, and what we're learning along the way.

Why we are building Buildaloo: a dad and two daughters build a game together on a tablet at home using an AI game maker for kids
FeaturedFounder story

Why we are building Buildaloo

What six months of Friday afternoons with my daughters, one podcast moment, and an old teammate turned into a product.

Joao AguiamAlex Spahn
By Joao Aguiam & Alex Spahn
·April 17, 2026
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Latest stories

A 7-year-old at a kitchen table speaks a game idea out loud to Loo, the friendly Buildaloo octopus, while a half-finished Math Quest plays on the screen
For parents

Why Your Child Is Ready to Move Beyond Educational Games and Start Building Them

ABCmouse and similar worksheet-style apps work brilliantly until about Year 2. Then most 7-year-olds plateau. Here is the case for moving from rote-learning apps to a creative workshop where your child builds the games instead of playing them, and what that looks like in practice for a Key Stage 1 reader.

Alex Spahn
Alex Spahn
·May 5, 2026
Tynker vs Buildaloo: structured lesson modules on one side and a child directing an AI to build a game on the other
For parents

Tynker vs Buildaloo: why voice-first AI is replacing structured coding classes

Is Tynker still worth it in 2026? An honest head-to-head for parents choosing between a curriculum-heavy coding class at home and AI-directed creative play.

Alex Spahn
Alex Spahn
·April 21, 2026
A child speaking into a tablet microphone while a game world forms on screen, a voice-first alternative to Scratch
For parents

The 7 best Scratch alternatives for kids who want to build with AI (2026)

Your child outgrew block dragging, and the rest of the market looks like more of the same. Here are the seven platforms we'd actually recommend in 2026, ranked for parents whose kids are ready to describe a game rather than puzzle one together.

Alex Spahn
Alex Spahn
·April 21, 2026
Roblox safety 2026: a parent and child sit at a kitchen table reviewing the new Roblox Kids account settings on a tablet
For parents

Roblox Kids Accounts & the $49.5M Fine: Is the 2026 Safety Overhaul Enough for Your Family?

On April 13, 2026, Roblox split kids' accounts into two new tiers and switched chat off by default for under-9s. Here's a balanced read on what changed, what the Australian fine threats actually mean, and where the real safety bar sits.

Alex Spahn
Alex Spahn
·April 20, 2026
AI literacy for 7-year-olds: a child sits at a kitchen table giving a clear voice instruction to Loo, the friendly AI octopus, while their parent watches
For parents

Why 7 is the Critical Age for AI Literacy: Moving from Screen-Time to Agentic Thinking

AI literacy for 7-year-olds is not a watered-down version of the adult conversation. It's the actual ground floor: the moment a child stops being shaped by invisible algorithms and starts directing visible ones. Here's the framework that makes age 7 the inflection year, and what a real Key Stage 1 / 2nd Grade AI literacy curriculum looks like in practice.

Alex Spahn
Alex Spahn
·April 20, 2026
Vibe coding for kids: a young child builds her own game on a tablet by describing it out loud, with Loo the friendly AI octopus beside her
For parents

Vibe Coding for Kids: The Complete 2026 Parent's Guide to Making Games (Ages 5–12)

Vibe coding was Collins Dictionary's Word of the Year 2025. Here's what it means for kids, why it's the biggest shift in kid-made games since Scratch, and how your child can build their first game this weekend.

Alex Spahn
Alex Spahn
·April 17, 2026
Roblox alternatives for kids: two children at home creating their own safe game on a tablet instead of playing strangers' Roblox games
For parents

Roblox Alternatives Where Your Kid Creates Instead of Consumes (2026 Parent's Guide)

Six safer game platforms where kids build their own games instead of playing strangers'. Compared on age-fit, chat safety, and creation-vs-consumption.

Alex Spahn
Alex Spahn
·April 17, 2026