If your child can dream it, they can most likely do it these days—and yes, that means there are Roblox coding courses - and plenty of them - for that! For those kids who you know have the imagination and creativity (and an entrepreneurial spirit) but just need an outlet, Roblox is a great option to explore.
Below you can jump right into a number of Roblox coding courses, where kids can learn Lua, game design, and more. Or, continue on to learn more about Roblox, coding, Lua, and how it all comes together for an amazingly entertaining and educational experience for your child.
Roblox Coding Courses
Roblox Game Design: Make Your Own Obby
Price: $399/week
Age: 7 - 9
Skill Level: Beginner–Intermediate
Format: Virtual Tech Camps | Small-Group, Online
Duration: Weeklong program, 2 hours per day
Roblox Game Design: Design Escape Rooms
Price: $399/week
Age: 7 - 9
Skill Level: Intermediate–Advanced
Format: Virtual Tech Camps | Small-Group, Online
Duration: Weeklong program, 2 hours per day
Roblox Game Design: Build a Tycoon Game
Price: $399/week
Age: 7 - 9
Skill Level: Intermediate–Advanced
Format: Virtual Tech Camps | Small-Group, Online
Duration: Weeklong program, 2 hours per day
Roblox Game Design: Coding and Monetization
Price: $399/week
Age: 10 - 12
Skill Level: Beginner–Advanced
Format: Virtual Tech Camps | Small-Group, Online
Duration: Weeklong program, 2 hours per day
Roblox Game Design: Develop an Escape Room
Price: $399/week
Age: 10 - 12
Skill Level: Intermediate–Advanced
Format: Virtual Tech Camps | Small-Group, Online
Duration: Weeklong program, 2 hours per day
Roblox Game Design: Develop a Business Tycoon Game
Price: $399/week
Age: 10 - 12
Skill Level: Intermediate–Advanced
Format: Virtual Tech Camps | Small-Group, Online
Duration: Weeklong program, 2 hours per day
Roblox Game Design: Coding and Monetization
Price: $399/week
Age: 13 - 17
Skill Level: Beginner–Advanced
Format: Virtual Tech Camps | Small-Group, Online
Duration: Weeklong program, 2 hours per day
What is Roblox?
If you aren’t yet familiar, I encourage you to check out our ultimate parent’s guide to Roblox, and other article on how to create a game with Roblox, but in a nutshell, think about it this way:
Would your young one enjoy learning how to make their own "obby," or say a fully-customizable obstacle course game where they can also utilize coding to program their own objects, and then upload that creation online for others to play?
Oh, AND with the opportunity to monetize their game and earn Robux (in-game currency), if they wanted? (This is one of a few ways kids can make money.)
Well, that’s Roblox. An online game platform that allows players to explore worlds created by other players as well as create their own.
Roblox Coding for Kids
Roblox is also a great pathway to coding for kids, where children can use Lua and Roblox Studio - the creative engine as limitless as your child's imagination - to delve deeper into game development.
(In fact, Minecraft, another wildly popular game, can provide excellent introductions to coding; learn more about Roblox vs. Minecraft.)
Lua Scripting Language
For a quick definition, coding is how people put together instructions for computers to execute/follow. Just like people speak different languages, programs do as well, thus requiring different inputs to create different outputs.
In this case, Roblox uses Lua, which is one great option in terms of coding languages for kids. Here are a few related notes to get you familiar with Lua and coding terminology in general:
Lua scripts
Roblox game scripts contain pieces of code used inside Roblox. They can be as simple as a single line of code, or as long as your favorite book.
Creating comments
Like most parents, you've probably never tried to read code written by somebody else, right? Well, it can take a little time to figure out what’s happening—even for experienced coders.
To prevent kids from forgetting what different parts of their code do, they can and should leave notes, or comments, in their code, starting every script with a brief description of what the script should do.
Creating variables
A variable is like a box—when coding, your kids can use it to store code for later use.
Coding if/then statements
Conditional statements are lines of code that evaluate to either true or false, and one type of conditional statement is an if/then statement, which checks to see if a condition is true.
If the condition is true, then the program will run a specific set of instructions. It's similar to cause and effect.
- If you spin around, then you will get dizzy.
- If you feed the kitty, then it will purr.
- If you score ten points, then you win the game.
Roblox Coding Examples
Before jumping into the course options, for kids to begin thinking about the differences in outcomes between designing and coding their games, here are a few examples of a few things they can accomplish.
Changing brick color
Kids can use code to change the BrickColor property of a part within their game. In simple terms, all they’ll need to do is give the program directions on how to get to the part of which they want to change the color—just like they would give friends directions on how to get to your house for the first time.
Not to mention that a brick doesn’t have to just remain one solid color of red or blue! With variables - as mentioned above - and loops, parts can look more like a continually-changing rainbow.
Think about how this same concept can be applied throughout the game, like in an intricate maze of flashing colors!
Creating trap parts
Trap parts harm or destroy anything that touch them, and so they can be used in Obbys and other game types to create new challenges for players to avoid.
For kids wanting to put this in use, their trap can be implemented with the OnTouch function, which triggers whenever anything touches the part. They can also code to test if the thing that touched the part is human, and if so, can eliminate that human once the part is touched!
Advanced scripting concepts include teleportation so players can skip certain in-game obstacles, or across to different worlds entirely.
Read More: Roblox dictionary of terms
How to Start Coding With Roblox
To get started with Roblox, all kids need to do is create an account and install Roblox Studio—which is an immersive game engine that allows students to create and publish their creations, and is accessible from any device. Once inside, kids can work from baseplates - which are basic starting templates available for project-building - to create their games.
How to Share Roblox Games
One of the coolest and primary entertainment factors with Roblox is the ability for kids to share their creations with others.
With just a few clicks, kids can easily open their worlds for others to join, and simply involves:
- Publishing a “new place”
- Waiting for it to upload
- Confirming the upload
- Setting to “public” so others can join
How kids can start coding with Roblox
If your kid or teen needs a more structured approach, there are a number of Roblox coding classes and lessons available right now!
From Virtual Tech Camps to online after-school programs (weeklong sessions with small groups of other students), and even online private tutoring (60-minute, one-on-one learning sessions), young creators can learn everything from game design, coding, and monetization with Roblox.
