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