Your Kid Wants to Make Roblox Games. Make It Real.

Yes, and the numbers are bigger than most parents realize. Fortune reported in June 2026 that around 22 million teens are making pocket money from video games, online reselling, and in-game platforms, with roughly 10% earning specifically through platforms like Roblox.

This is not lemonade-stand money for the top creators. In 2025, Roblox creators cashed out more than $1.5 billion in real money through the platform's developer exchange program. Most kids will never see numbers like that. That is fine. The point is the path is real.

So when your kid says they want to build Roblox games, do not file it under wasting time. There is a real skill, a real platform, and a real chance to earn underneath the obsession. Your job is not to crush it or to promise them riches. It is to channel it into something that teaches them how a business actually works.

This matters before anything else. In June 2026, Roblox made age-based Kids and Select accounts available globally, changing how younger players and creators use the platform.

These accounts add stronger defaults for kids: tighter chat settings, limits on what content they can see, and more parent visibility. Guides like Kinzoo's walk parents through what changed and how to set them up. Read one before your kid dives in.

There is also a real gate for young creators who want to publish to the youngest audiences. To put a game in the Roblox Kids or Select catalogs, the account behind it has to be ID verified, secured with two-factor authentication, and tied to a paid subscription or one-time fee. Translation: a parent is involved by design. That is a feature, not a hassle. It means you are looped into the business side from day one, which is exactly where you want to be.

The main engine is the Game Pass. According to Roblox's own creator docs, a Game Pass is a one-time purchase that gives a player a permanent perk inside a game. Think VIP access, a special ability, a cool cosmetic, or a head start.

Players buy passes with Robux, the in-game currency. Creators earn Robux from those sales, then can exchange enough Robux for real money through the developer exchange. That is the full loop.

One honest detail your kid needs to hear early: Roblox takes a cut, around 30% on pass sales. That is a perfect first lesson in how real businesses work. You do not keep every dollar. There are platform fees, just like a real store pays rent and card fees. Helping your kid understand that they earn the price minus the cut is a genuine money lesson hiding inside a game. Most adults selling on Etsy or the App Store live with the same math.

Less than you would guess. Roblox Studio, the tool used to build games, is free to download. It runs on a regular computer. No expensive gear required.

The real ingredients are time and curiosity. Your kid learns by building small things, breaking them, and fixing them. There are mountains of free tutorials, and the building language, called Lua, is friendly for beginners.

Start tiny. The first goal is not a hit game. It is finishing one simple, playable thing from start to end. An obstacle course. A small simulator. A tiny world with one fun mechanic. Finishing something small teaches more than dreaming about something huge that never ships. And here is a quiet bonus for you: while your kid thinks they are playing, they are picking up logic, problem solving, and the basics of coding. That is real STEM learning wearing a fun costume.

The leap from playing to building a business is about treating the game like a product with customers. That mindset shift is the whole lesson.

Get your kid to ask the questions a founder asks. Who is this game for? What makes someone want to play it twice? What perk would a player happily pay a little for? Why would they tell a friend? These are the same questions a grown founder wrestles with, just smaller and more fun.

Write the plan down. It does not need to be fancy. A single page covering the game idea, who it is for, what the paid passes will be, and how they will get players to try it. You can do this on paper, in a doc, or with a kid-friendly planner like Foundra Kids that helps young builders map out a simple business plan in plain language. The format is up to you. The habit of planning before building is the part that turns a hobby into a business.

Building the game is half the job. Getting players is the other half, and it is the half most young creators forget. A great game nobody plays earns nothing.

Start with the people they know. Friends, classmates, a sibling, a cousin. Real players who give real feedback. Watching someone get stuck or bored is the fastest way to learn what to fix.

Then think about the small marketing moves. A clear game name. An eye-catching thumbnail, since that image is what makes someone click. A short description that says exactly what is fun. These are the same tools a real company uses to get noticed, shrunk down to kid size. This is a brilliant teaching moment. Your kid learns that a good product is not enough on its own. You also have to help people find it and understand why they should care. That lesson will serve them in any business they ever touch.

Safety comes first, always, especially on a platform built around other people online. The new Kids and Select accounts help, but you are still the most important safety setting in the house.

A few simple rules go a long way. Keep the account on the age-appropriate settings. Make sure two-factor authentication is on. Keep the linked payment and exchange details under your control, not your kid's. Money out of the platform should run through you.

Talk openly about online strangers. Roblox connects creators with players and other developers, and most are great, but your kid needs to know never to share personal details and to tell you about anything that feels off. Make it normal to come to you. Check in regularly, not as a spy, but as a partner in the project. A kid who knows you are paying attention and on their side will tell you when something is wrong. That trust is the best protection there is.

Keep expectations honest and the steps small. The summer goal is one finished game and a few real lessons, not a fortune.

In the first couple of weeks, set up the safe account together and let your kid learn Roblox Studio through free tutorials. Just exploring. In the middle stretch, have them build and finish one small, simple game from start to end. Finishing is the win.

In the back half of summer, add one paid Game Pass, share the game with friends, and watch what real players do with it. Then sit down and review like a tiny business owner would. How many people played? Did anyone buy the pass? What would make it better? Whether they earned five dollars or fifty, your kid will have built something, sold something, and learned how the whole loop works. That experience is worth far more than the Robux. It is a first real taste of being a founder.

How old does my kid need to be? Kids can build in Roblox Studio young with a parent involved. The new age-based accounts set safer defaults, and publishing to kid catalogs requires a verified parent-linked account.

Does it cost money to start? Roblox Studio is free. Publishing games to the youngest audiences can require a subscription or one-time fee, and the platform takes about a 30% cut of pass sales.

Can my kid really earn real cash? Yes, through Roblox's developer exchange, though most young creators earn small amounts. Treat it as a learning project first and any earnings as a bonus.

Is it safe? Safer with the 2026 Kids and Select accounts, two-factor authentication, and parent-controlled payments. Your involvement is still the key safeguard.

What does my kid actually learn? Coding basics, problem solving, pricing, marketing, and how a real product reaches customers. It is STEM and entrepreneurship wrapped inside a game they already love.

1. Around 22 million teenagers are making their pocket money on video games, online reselling, and in-game platforms like Roblox (Fortune)
2. Age-Based Roblox Kids and Roblox Select Accounts Now Globally Available (Roblox Newsroom)
3. Passes: Monetization Documentation (Roblox Creator Hub)
4. Roblox's New Kid Accounts, Explained: What Parents Need to Know (Kinzoo)