Roblox Legends - where Roblox players become Roblox game designers!
Let’s be real, parents really do not understand Roblox, how it works and what the kids get up to when playing the game. And that’s a bit scary, right?
However, children can play it safely and have a great time with their friends online with little supervision and understanding.
Hayley Markham, Co-Founder and GM at Code Camp, has built her holiday camp and after-school business on teaching kids how to explore their creativity through technology, from coding and game design to stop-motion animation, YouTube video production, producing music and more. And she’s a mum to three young girls who are using technology for schooling and play every day.
Hayley knows how important it is for kids and their parents to understand what makes Roblox so popular and how to ensure kids don’t get any nasty surprises.
Understanding Roblox
Roblox is an online game creation platform where much of the content is created by “amateur” game creators within Roblox studio.
These games can then be played by kids, often online together. Roblox games reflect the sort of imaginative play you often find in the playground. One child has an idea about a game to play, others join him or her and the rules slowly change as the group decides how to have fun together.
Top Tips to keep the kids safe when playing Roblox
- Check the age recommendations on all content on the platform. Roblox rates all ages, 9+ and 13+ based on the amount of violence and blood depicted, inappropriate images and profanity.
- Roblox has parent controls you can use to ensure it’s safe to play. Make sure you use the correct date of birth for your child’s account as this will enable safe-chat and filtering. Plus, you will get a separate parent login so you can check up on your child’s interactions.
- Stay nearby. Kids (especially younger ones) can play with you or another trusted adult nearby when they’re first starting out. It means you can keep an eye what kind of games they’re playing, how they’re playing and with whom.
- Know who your child is talking to online. Roblox is interactive multi-player gaming. Players in Roblox can connect, interact and communicate with each other in various ways such as voice or written text once friend requests have been made. You can manage who your child speaks to by disabling chat or limiting it to friends only. You can also switch off their inbox to stop them receiving direct messages.
- Have regular conversations about gaming with your kids The best way to know what’s happening is to stay engaged. Continue to have regular conversations with your kids about what they are doing online. Ask your child open questions like ‘What games have you been playing onrecently?’ and ‘Who are you playing with’?
Hayley adds, “my three kids are all playing Roblox with friends and it’s a big part of their social interactions and friendships. I keep an eye on things and ensure it’s friendly play with appropriate games and kids they know”.
Roblox Legends holiday camps are running at locations around Australia these school holidays. For more, head to www.codecamp.com.au.
Your Ultimate school holidays activity list
1. Get creative with Minions
What is it?
Kids go bananas for Minions (pun intended) and these school holidays they can express their fandom making a Minions movie using stop-motion animation techniques. Over 2 days, kids create their own Minions clay characters and design their own film set. The magic begins when they see their characters come to life by taking multiple images of objects and stitching them together to look like they’re moving! - It’s incredibly fun!
Why go?
If they watch their favourite animated movies on repeat, they’ll love creating Minions clay figurines and developing their own story, taking lots of still frames and stitching them together to create their very first movie!
Ages: 5-7
2. Become a DJ
What is it?
Children will take their first steps into the exciting world of mixing music to create their own DJ set.
Why go?
Kids will love mixing their favourite pop tunes using beat matching and transitions on real DJ decks. Plus, they will design their own DJ brand, develop branded merch, and even perform a DJ set to their friends!
Ages: 8-13
3. Pilot a drone
What is it?
Kids learn to pilot a drone using coding to design a flight path and watch in wonder as the drone takes flight!
Why go?
If your kid shows an interest in drones, they can learn more than just the basics of flying. Kids get a taste of cutting-edge technology and learn about coding, problem-solving, engineering, design, and more. They’ll learn about drone tech and safety, movie making, and discover how drones have a positive social impact when used to fight bushfires, rescue koalas, spot sharks on the coast and loads more!
Ages: 9-13
4. Become a YouTuber
What is it?
While they may not end up with YouTube stardom, we’re sure kids will have a new lens on screen time. They will be equipped with the skills to start producing and directing their own ideas instead of simply watching other people's! Plus, they’ll gain confidence ‘performing’ in front of audiences and on set and importantly, learn about staying safe online.
Why go?
Taking a YouTube fixation and turning it into something incredibly productive where kids will learn planning, storytelling, filming and video editing to become the star in their very own YouTube-style videos.
Ages: 8-13
5. Produce a LEGO movie
What is it?
Turn hours of playing with LEGO characters into an even more creative pursuit, by teaching kids to create their own LEGO Movie.
Why go?
They can use their favourite LEGO characters and sets, come up with a fun storyline and use stop-motion techniques to produce a short animation film. It will transform the way they play at home and offer endless hours of creativity for the rest of the holidays.
Ages: 7-12
6. Code a game
What is it?
Kids can design their own arcade-style video games (like Super Mario Bros), jam-packed with cool characters like zombies and unicorns, and awesome gaming features such as invisibility cloaks and shrinking potions. They’ll learn drag and drop code and logic to connect all the design elements together and bring their games to life!
Why go?
Kids are spending countless hours on Roblox and Minecraft these days. Get them to spark their creative side instead, by producing their own original games, using a combination of creative level design, storytelling and problem-solving to bring their creations to life. It’s so much fun, they won’t realise they are actually learning some very important coding and tech skills for their future.
Ages: 7-12
7. Develop a Website
What is it?
For kids with some proficiency in coding, they’ll create their own website from scratch about an animal, movie, sporting team or their favourite topic.
Why go?
With 1.93 billion websites on the world wide web, developers are in higher demand than ever before. It’s a great head start to gain fundamental web building skills and your kids will have so much fun in the process.