kid-projects.com · You type. They direct.
Safety & Ages
Calm and specific. You drive. They direct. The AI is a tool, not a friend, and it does not take your place at the table.
Age and stage
This summary follows Common Sense Media, “AI Chatbots and Your Child: Age and Stage Guidance” (updated June 8, 2026).
- 5 and under: no AI chatbots for the child.
- Ages 6–12: limited use alongside a parent.
- 13+: supervised use for homework and creativity is OK.
- Under 18: nobody uses a chatbot for emotional support, mental-health advice, or “friendship.”
What that means on this site:
3–5. No chatbot for the child. You use AI behind the scenes. Your kid draws, picks, predicts, and makes. Projects lean on paper, physical play, and the finished object.
6–9. Co-pilot mode. Your child speaks or dictates, and you type on your own account. Keep the sessions short.
10–12. Your child can drive more of the making (Scratch, Teachable Machine, a micro:bit) while you stay in the room. Chatbot use stays limited, and you are there.
13+. Supervised use for homework and creativity is OK. Never for comfort, feelings, or “friendship.”
AI toys
Common Sense Media recommends no AI toy companions for ages 5 and under, and extreme caution for ages 6–12. The worries they name are attachment, privacy, content, and reliability.
Personal-info checklist
- Never enter your child's real name.
- Never enter their school.
- Never enter a town, city, or other location.
- Never enter a birthday.
- Think twice before uploading photos, a voice, or drawings.
- Use a made-up name if a story needs one.
- “My 7-year-old” is enough age information for a prompt.
Tool account ages
ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini were re-checked on October 17, 2026. Suno, Scratch, micro:bit CreateAI, and the Animated Drawings demo were checked on October 25, 2026. Policies change. Read them again before you rely on this table. The pattern: the parent drives, the kid directs.
| Tool | Account age | Who logs in | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | 13+. Under 18 needs a parent's permission. Terms effective January 1, 2026. | Parent | OpenAI Terms of Use |
| Claude | 18+ | Parent | Anthropic Consumer Terms |
| Gemini | Family Link is offered for under-13s. | Parent, or Family Link | Gemini for kids and Family Link |
| Gemini Storybook | 18+ account. Not one of the 15 launch projects. | Parent | Gemini Storybook |
| Suno | 13+. Under 18 needs a parent's consent. Under 13 may not use it. Terms effective September 3, 2026. Some countries set consent between 13 and 16. | Parent | Suno Terms |
| Scratch | Designed mainly for ages 8–16. Younger children use it with a parent. Under 16, a new account needs a parent’s email before commenting or sharing. Making and saving can work without that. | Parent, or the child with a parent’s email | Scratch for parents |
| micro:bit CreateAI | From age 7. No login. | No account | CreateAI |
| Animated Drawings demo | 18+, and the terms say not to let anyone under 18 use the demo. Illinois and Texas are excluded on the terms page we read. | Parent only | Demo terms |
Keep the thinking with the kid
- Paper sketch or a prediction first.
- Short sessions.
- Let the AI ask the questions, when the project is built that way.
- Check the AI's mistakes together. The judge is the glass, not the chat.
On-device and offline options
- micro:bit CreateAI is free, needs no login, and the training data stays on the device.
- Meta Animated Drawings is open source. The demo asks for opt-in consent before drawings are used for research.
- Paper, pencils, and Play-Doh still count. Several projects start there, before any screen turns on.
AI supports the parent. It does not replace them.
Reading aloud and telling stories are prime bonding time. Common Sense Media says so, and the projects here are built that way. You still read the book. You still ask “what do you think happened?” before anyone reads the AI's explanation.
Last reviewed: October 17, 2026, with the Suno, Scratch, CreateAI, and Animated Drawings rows added October 25, 2026.