Building Games for Kids

Building games can help sharpen the creativity of kids while aiding them to become more patient, and better planners in life – all these by simply touching the screens of mobile devices using their tiny fingers.

Unlike shooting games such as *Fortnite, which has been criticised for promoting violence, construction games such as Minecraft have been credited with passing creativity and problem-solving skills to children.

Through these games, a child builds self-confidence, achieves a sense of achievement, and gains a results-oriented outlook that helps him or her to become a resourceful person.

Here are some of the best building games for kids, including Minecraft and Toca Builders.

Building games for kids

1. Minecraft

Minecraft tops our list of the greatest games for children and a good reason. Originally released in 2011, this is easily the best 3D-building game for kids.

It allows players to build new imaginary worlds, craft items, and fight off crowds and perform pretty anything they can dream up.

Thanks to its popularity, Minecraft has been spun off into several fantastic side projects including MinecraftEDU – a classroom-ready educational game, and Minecraft: Story Mode, an adventure game.

Minecraft is available for Android and iOS devices.

Age: It is designed for kids of 10 years and above.

Price: $6.99 on Google Play.

2. Toca Builders

Toca Builders is a sandbox-style 3D building game for kids not quite ready to play Minecraft. The game that starts with a flat universe floating on the water comes with six different builders – Jum-Jum, Vex, Cooper, Stretch, Connie, and Blox – each handling a different task to design an imaginary world.

Builders can also destroy blocks by dropping slabs from a backpack or by hitting them with a hammer. However, this destruction is not done in a hostile manner – which makes Toca Builders a great choice for kids who might not enjoy destructive episodes.

Unlike most other games, Toca Builders is not competition-oriented. It is more or less like playing with LEGOs without having to hold them in a physical setting.

Toca Builders is available for Android and iOS devices.

Age: It is designed for kids of 5 to 11 years.

Price: $0.99-$2.99 on Google Play.

3. Cyberchase 3D Builder

Cyberchase 3D Builder is set up in 2D and requires children to rebuild a city (accidentally demolished by robots Buzz and Delete) into 3D over 8 levels that increase in difficulty with the eighth level challenging players to create and stack complex structures.

Players earn points by completing each level in the shortest duration, after which the next level unlocks. On completion of level eight, a fun firework presents rains over the town.

Cyberchase 3D Builder is available for Android and iOS devices.

Age: It is designed for kids of 6 to 9 years.

Price: Currently free (from $0.99).

4. Block Craft 3D

Block Craft is a popular 3D building game that allows children to create anything from jetfighters to wardrobes and sofa sets.

Block Craft, which has been downloaded by more than 100 million users, allows kids to create unique means of transport, fly on airplanes, and even sail on ships. Kids are also able to make new friends among other fun activities such as taking care of pets.

Block Craft is available for Android and iOS devices.

Age: It is designed for kids of 4 years and above.

Price: Free with in-app purchases of $4.49 to $159.99.

5. Blocksworld

Blocksworld is an unblocked 3D building game that allows kids to build simple and complex structures using ‘action blocks’ and a drag-and-drop visual programming tool that adds interactivity to the game.

Players can sell their creations to other builders around the world – earning virtual coins that buy various building sets including Heroes of Aero, Star Rangers, City Blocks, or other creations by other builders.

Blocksworld is available for iOS devices.

Age: It is designed for kids of 4 years and above.

Price: Free with in-app purchases of $0.99 to $24.99.

6. Block Story

Block story combines 3D block building and exploration sandbox gameplay with thrilling role-playing game elements to create a game that fascinates little players.

The game is full of electrifying quests where kids can fight giants, craft weapons, etc. Players who complete various missions become the toughest fighters in the kingdom.

This enables them to build strongholds, battle fierce beasts, and dig up valuable metals to upgrade their weapons, access better apparatus, and build products to summon dragons.

Block Story is available for Android and iOS devices.

Age: It is designed for kids of 9 years and above.

Price: Free with premium version going for $2.99.

7. Growtopia

Growtopia is one of the most interesting 3D construction games for kids allowing players to collect seeds, grow trees, and hew logs to build homes, palaces, and other types of artwork.

The game features an unlimited number of worlds for kids to explore and create anything they want with other builders from all over the world.

Characters can be modified to become fighters, magicians, or space knights, etc.

Growtopia is available for Android and iOS devices.

Age: It is designed for kids of 8 years and above.

Price: Free with in-app purchases of $0.99 to $49.99.

8. Blockheads

This is an unblocked 2.5D survival game in which kids control an avatar known as blockheads to sightsee their surroundings, traverse the sky in search of floating islands, navigate the universe, and dig up materials for creating new buildings, among other tasks.

Just like Minecraft, Blockheads has tools that enable kids to build new structures, create farmsteads, and make crafting benches that unlock advanced levels of the building game.

Blockheads is available for Android and iOS devices.

Age: It is designed for kids of 7 years and above.

Price: Free.

9. Lego Creator Island

This is a building simulator app featuring LEGO building blocks and mini-figures allowing kids to build houses and unlock new islands while earning bricks to reach new ones.

As kids continue to build, cats, rabbits, and monkeys occupy the island, while earned bricks allow users to create more structures.

This game does not have any in-app purchases hence parents do not have to worry about incurring additional costs.

Lego Creator Island is available for Android and iOS devices.

Age: It is designed for kids of 6-12 years.

Price: $37.89 on Amazon.

10. Blox 3D Junior

Anyone looking to build games for kids below 5 years has a reason to explore Blox 3D Junior. This is a 3D building app that allows kids to create tools and add them to a 3D world using simple controls.

A design usually starts with one red block that adds a new block when tapped.

Children can alter colors and add new blocks to create whatever they can envision, including animated creatures such as tigers.

Blox 3D Junior is available for Android and iOS devices.

Age: It is designed for kids of 5 years and below.

Price: $2.99.

*Fortnite: Battle Royale

Though not a building game, Fortnite: Battle Royale is a popular yet highly controversial game for kids hence the need to discuss it here.

The game is inspired by an apocalyptic event in which 98 per cent of humanity dies. The goal of the 100-player game is to kill all the players to become the last player standing.

To achieve this goal, players are required to gather resources, create havens, and kill other players. This does not impress Fortnite’s critics who view it as too violent for kids.

However, its admirers dismiss those claims arguing that the violence is more cartoonish than that of mature games.

Fortnite: Battle Royale is available on Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Mac, iOS, and Android.

Age: It is designed for players aged 13 years and above.

Price: $3.99.

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