Teen AI Builders Get the free lesson

Ages 13-17 · short video lessons · for parents

64% of teens use AI chatbots. Can yours build something with them?

In 6 short lessons, your teen builds and publishes a real app with AI — and can explain how it works. No coding experience needed. Start with a free lesson: their first mini app in about 20 minutes.

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Free · parent email only · no card

64% of teens use AI chatbots. Only about half of parents know. Pew Research Center, 2026

Example app made by our team in the free lesson.
  • Parents sign up. We never ask for your teen's name.
  • Only AI tools whose terms allow teens
  • AI instructors, clearly labeled

How it works

  1. Watch a 5-8 minute lessonOne idea per lesson, shown on screen.

  2. Build one small piece in their own appEvery lesson ends with a task they do themselves.

  3. You get a weekly emailWhat they should have done, and one question to ask them.

What they end up with

A link they can open on a phone and show you. Here are three small apps of the kind they build:

  • Quiz Me study app showing a question and its answer
    Study appmade by our team
  • Guess the Number game after two tries
    Number gamemade by our team
  • Link page for a robotics club
    Club pagemade by our team

Is this cheating?

It is the first worry for a lot of parents. The AI writes code when asked. Your teen decides what the app should do, and checks that it does it.

What your teen does

  • Picks the problem and plans the app
  • Asks for one change at a time
  • Tests it on a phone and fixes what breaks
  • Decides what stays and what goes

What the AI does

  • Suggests code for each request
  • Explains a part when they ask

The authorship card (Lesson 6)

What I made
The idea, the questions, the order of the screens
What the AI made
The first version of the code
A part I can explain
Where the score is saved, and who can see it

It's their own project, not homework.

Built around where beginners get stuck

Each lesson solves one common wall and ends with a small task in their own app.

  1. 1. Shrink the idea. A small, real problem, planned on a 5-line card.
  2. 2. Talk to AI like a builder. Clear requests, one change at a time, and a log of what they asked.
  3. 3. Safe to share. A safety check with you, then the app goes live on its own link.
  4. 4. Fix, don't restart. Describe the bug, read the error, fix one thing at a time.
  5. 5. Give the app a memory. It keeps a score or setting, and they can say where that lives.
  6. 6. Show it off, and own it. A 60-second video for the family and an authorship card.

Pick your AI instructor

Three AI instructors, each with an AI voice and a favorite kind of project. The core lessons are the same; your instructor changes the example app and the bonus project. You can switch anytime.

Will

Games · calm, no pressure

  • Free lesson: a Guess the Number game
  • Bonus project: a game with levels
Small steps. Big wins.

Matilda

School and study · explains the why

  • Free lesson: Quiz Me, a study app
  • Bonus project: a study planner with goals
Know why it works, and you can build anything.

Liam

Creators and side projects · fast

  • Free lesson: a link page for a club or idea
  • Bonus project: a page to pitch a business idea
Ship it, then make it better.

Will, Matilda and Liam are AI characters, not real people.

Safe for teens, set up by parents

  • Only a parent or guardian signs up and buys. We do not ask for your teen's name, age or school.
  • We only use AI tools whose rules allow teens, with your permission, and we tell you which ones before they start.
  • Nothing personal goes into the app. Lesson 3 is a safety check you do together before it goes live.
  • No live classes and no chat with strangers: just videos and a weekly email to you.
  • Lessons are presented by AI instructors with AI voices. They are characters, not real people, and they never chat with your teen.

Why not just use ChatGPT?

A chatbot on its own can help a lot. Here is what the lessons add.

A chatbot on its ownTeen AI Builders
OrderYour teen decides what to ask, and whenSix lessons, in an order that builds one app
Getting stuckErrors often end in starting overEach lesson covers a place where beginners stall
SafetyEach tool's age rules are yours to checkOnly tools whose terms allow teens, listed for you first
Your viewYou see what they choose to showA weekly email with one question to ask them

What it costs

Step 1: the free lesson, no card. Step 2, only if you want it:

Starter course · taught by Matilda, an AI instructor

US$19 once

About US$3 a lesson · no subscription · full refund within 14 days

  • 6 short lessons, from zero to a published app
  • A 4-week plan and a weekly email for you

A longer course comes next. Starter buyers hear about it first.

Who's behind this

Teen AI Builders is a small team that builds apps with AI. We plan each lesson and build every example app on this page ourselves.

Questions before you sign up? Email us at support@teenaibuilders.org.

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We only use your email for what you ticked. Privacy notice

Questions parents ask

Is the free lesson really free?

Yes. No card and no trial that turns into a payment. You give a parent email, confirm it, and the lesson opens. The Starter course is a separate purchase, only if you want it.

Is this cheating?

Not when it's their own project. The lessons are about building something of their own, not schoolwork. They keep a log of what they asked the AI and finish with an authorship card that says which parts they made and which parts the AI made. If their school has rules about AI, those still apply to schoolwork.

Can't they just use ChatGPT?

They can, and many already do. The lessons add an order to follow, help at the usual sticking points, tools whose terms allow teens, and a weekly email for you.

What if my teen isn't into coding?

They don't write code from scratch. Most teens pick an app tied to something they already like: a game, a study tool, a page for a club. The free lesson is a quick way to find out if it clicks.

How involved do I need to be?

Not much. You do one safety check together in Lesson 3. Each week you get a short email with one question to ask them. The rest they do on their own.

Does my teen need to know how to code?

No. They describe what they want in plain English and use AI tools to build it. They learn how apps fit together along the way.

What does my teen need?

A laptop or desktop computer with a recent browser. A phone or tablet is not enough to build.

Which AI tools do you use?

Only tools whose terms allow teens aged 13-17 with a parent's permission. Some popular AI tools are for adults only, and we do not use those with students. You get the list before your teen starts.

How long does it take?

Lessons are 5-8 minutes each. The Starter course comes with a 4-week plan, but your teen can go faster or slower.

How will I know they are making progress?

You get a short weekly email with what they should have done and a question to ask them. At the end, they send you a 60-second video of their app.

Who makes the lessons?

A small team that builds apps with AI. The lessons are screen recordings presented by AI instructors (Will, Matilda and Liam) with AI voices. They are characters, not real people.

Can I get a refund?

Yes. Paid courses have a full refund within 14 days.

Can your teen build something with AI? Find out in about 20 minutes.

Get the free lesson

Free · parent email only · no card

Free lesson · about 20 min

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