What Is Roblox? : A Parent’s Guide
Roblox is a popular gaming platform used by kids of all ages. Advertised as an “imaginative platform,” it strives to bring gamers and coders together through play and shared interests.
Released in 2006, millions of players enjoy this award-winning game world. The free app welcomes young gamers to play their way through thousands of challenges for the purpose of tinkering with coding concepts, learning about different applications, and socializing with other like-minded young developers.
Whether you’re exploring coding opportunities for middle schoolers or younger gamers, Roblox is one platform you won’t want to overlook.
Roblox: How Is it Used?
For kids looking to explore computer science and coding for video game development, Roblox is like an empty canvas waiting for their contributions. It’s notably different from Minecraft mods in many ways but similarly fosters a great community that makes coding fun.
Young programmers will get a lot out of Roblox, including the following:
Opportunities to Collaborate with Others
When new users make an account, they’ll set up a profile like any social media site. On their profile, they can post anonymously, link to games they like, promote games they’ve coded, and enjoy the company of other like-minded kids.
The global community of Roblox game users offers encouragement and support to young programmers looking to learn more about coding. In addition, kids can play with friends or meet other virtual explorers.
An Introduction to Coding
Learning Lua coding is easier than other programming languages, making it a great place to start if you’re just entering the world of computer science. Kids can use it to begin to understand simple programming concepts such as variables, functions, strings, arrays, and tables, and then advance to more challenging applications following the free online courses and tutorials.
The Roblox developer community is notably a great resource for both beginners and experts who want to learn more about coding.
Experiences with 3D Design
Live game development starts with understanding 3D modeling, and Roblox makes it easy to get the fundamental skills you need to take the next step. From building avatars for their own Roblox games to creating interactive components and events, young coders will learn about game design and build 3D objects and be able to use those objects in dimensional gaming environments.
Challenges Video Game Development
The Roblox coding platform hosts a huge collection of games, so a user will be able to make their own games and share their achievements, but they’ll be able to learn from other’s games. So if your kid is interested in gaming and video game development but not sure how coding fits in, Roblox helps demonstrate how they’re integrated through the works shared by its collaborative community.
Is Roblox Hard to Learn?
A combination of factors make it very easy for kids (even those in elementary school) to learn Lua. First, the Roblox interface designed by Roblox Studios is user friendly, and its programming tools are easy to understand even if your child has never written code before.
How Can Kids Learn Roblox?
Setting up a new user account is the first step to interacting in Roblox. Roblox is free, which makes it accessible and simple for kids and their families. It’s also available on various devices, including Android, iOS/Mac, Windows, and Xbox One.
Once you’re set up with an account, you’ll likely want to make your own games. For that, you’ll need the separate Roblox Studio app, which is also free.
From there, beginners can make their own hangout spaces and explore what other kids have created. As they grow more comfortable with the coding prompts and how to navigate the community, they’ll quickly move on to other simple coding activities, making things like obstacle (“obby”) courses that teach introductory coding skills and introduce 3D design.
What Programming Language Is Used in Roblox?
The Lua programming language is used exclusively by Roblox. Users, especially young coders, are introduced to the Roblox coding language through various programming tools that are easy to use. Simpler than Javascript and Python, your kid might pick up coding in Roblox faster than they would using a game like Minecraft!
Is it Hard to Learn Lua?
A combination of factors make it very easy for kids (even those in elementary school) to learn Lua. The Roblox interface designed by Roblox Studios is user-friendly, and its programming tools are easy to understand even if your child has never written code before.
Like many gaming platforms, it’s always best if the child spends time exploring the interface to develop a comfort level before diving into scripting languages, but once they’re ready, Lua will help them start coding with simple step-by-step prompts and challenges.
Kids will learn more about Roblox coding as they go, using Lua to program different avatars, actions, and games at their own pace. And, when in doubt, there’s a wide range of tutorials available in Roblox to help users with questions about coding with Lua.
What Are the Benefits of Roblox Programming?
Kids and their parents and teachers alike look to Roblox as a great way to learn more about coding.
- Lua is an easy introductory computer programming language
- Roblox has millions of users that make it a robust and engaged community
- It’s tested and proven, with over 15+ years of games, tutorials, and demonstrations to serve as learning guides
- It’s free, and apps are available for Android, iOS/Mac, Windows, and Xbox One
- If gamers are looking to do more in the platform, you can upgrade to a premium membership and use Robux as virtual currency
- Not only does it introduce 3D modeling, but kids interested in video game development will have opportunities to share their own challenges and support others with similar interests.
Find Roblox classes near you
Kids of all ages can learn about video game development and 3D modeling using Roblox. In addition, TheCoderSchool offers a range of coding camps for kids who want to learn more about coding concepts. With locations across the United States and flexible courses, including virtual learning, in-person classes, or private one-on-one lessons, our teachers provide a child-focused learning philosophy to help the next generation take their curiosities with technology to the next level. Also, if you’re interested in the ultimate parent’s guide to java for kids, you can check it out here.
Find a class near you and get in touch with the educators at theCoderSchool today if you have any questions about coding classes.