GDC 2025 Session Viewer
Kids-as-Devs: How to Lead a Kids' Game Jam Roundtable (Presented by the IGDA)
Krystal Cooper (Game Producer & Adjunct Professor, Rochester Institute of Technology)
Location: Room 304, South Hall
Date: Friday, March 21
Time: 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Pass Type: All Access Pass, Core Pass, Summits Pass, Expo Pass, Audio Pass, Indie Games Summit Pass, Friday Only Pass - Get your pass now!
Track: Advocacy
Format: Roundtable
Vault Recording: Not Recorded
Audience Level: All
This roundtable is hosted by the Devs with Kids SIG. Game jams traditionally cater to seasoned developers, but integrating kids into events like these offers potential benefits for everyone involved. Adults benefit because kids' natural creativity and imagination are invaluable assets in innovative game design. Kids benefit because participation in a game jam encourages problem-solving, fosters creativity, and nurtures collaboration—skills vital not only in the game industry but also in many life situations. Moreover, an inclusive, game-centric event can spark early interest in STEM fields, opening pathways to future career prospects. However, involving kids in game development can introduce a number of challenges as well. Kids can get distracted or frustrated easily. In this way, making games with kids is a bit like making a cake with them; the key is to remember that kids do not possess the attention span or the skills to complete the process on their own (hat tip to Osama Dorias). Kids need a guide who can encourage them and focus their efforts on the parts they’ll be excited about and they’re good at. This session will enable participants to collaboratively brainstorm strategies and plans for structuring an asynchronous, distributed game jam that accommodates kids, ensuring a balance between guidance and creative freedom. Together, we will lay the foundation for an experience for kids that more than entertains—it also educates and inspires a new generation of potential game developers.
Takeaway
Participants in this roundtable session will gain practical strategies for engaging children in game development through creative collaboration. You will learn how to structure a kid-friendly game jam, manage challenges, and translate children’s artistic ideas into playable games, fostering enthusiasm and teamwork while making the process fun and educational.
Intended Audience
All are welcome, but the conversation will be most useful to those who are trying to balance professional responsibilities with caring for the kids in their life.
