Typing games for kids

The best typing games for children are the ones that ask for one thing at a time: a single letter, then a short word, then a longer one. Speed comes later. These eight do that well, and every one of them works on a laptop or desktop with a normal keyboard.

Eight games to start with

Balloon Pop Balloons float up with a letter each. Press it to pop it, and climb from the home row to whole words in two minutes. Deep Catch A calm underwater fishing game: type the word on a fish to hook it and reel it in before the two minutes are up. Alphabet Type a to z as fast as you can, timed to the hundredth. The oldest typing bet there is. Type Snake Classic snake, but you steer by typing the letter that sits on the side you want to turn to. Word Ninja Fruit flies up from below carrying words. Type a word to slice its fruit, and leave the bombs alone. Falling Words Words fall as keycaps. Type one to pop it before it lands, build a combo and climb level by level. Three lives. Skyward Type the word on a ledge to leap onto it and keep climbing before the rising tide catches you. Word Search A letter grid where the list shows only each word’s first letter and length. Spot a word, type it, and every word you find buys more time.

Where to start

For a child who is still finding the keys, begin with Balloon Pop. Each balloon carries one letter, and the game starts on the home row before working up to whole words, so it teaches the same order a touch typing course would. Alphabet is a good next step: type a to z as fast as you can, and try to beat yesterday's time.

Once whole words come easily, Deep Catch is the calmest of the word games: type the word on a fish to hook it, with two relaxed minutes on the clock. Word Ninja and Falling Words add a little pressure, and Type Snake is a familiar game steered entirely by letters.

Tips for parents and teachers

• Posture first. Feet flat (a box or a stack of books helps if they do not reach the floor), screen at eye level, and wrists floating rather than resting on the edge of the desk.
• Home row from the start. Show them the bumps on F and J. Fingers rest there and come back after every key. The home row test is the simplest place to practise it.
• Accuracy before speed. Praise clean runs more than fast ones. A child who types slowly without looking will overtake one who types quickly while staring at the keys.
• Short and regular. Ten or fifteen minutes on most days beats an hour once a week. Stop while it is still fun.
• Turn on the on-screen keyboard. In Settings, the on-screen keyboard shows the next key in its finger's colour, which helps children who are still learning which finger goes where.

When they are ready for more

Games build interest and confidence, but structured practice is what turns them into touch typists. The free typing lessons introduce the keyboard a few keys at a time, and letter by letter adds new keys only once the old ones are mastered. Our guide to what typing games really teach explains how to mix games with practice, including in a classroom.

Safety and privacy

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