Will
Games · calm, no pressure
- Free lesson: a Guess the Number game
- Bonus project: a game with levels
Small steps. Big wins.
Ages 13-17 · short video lessons · for parents
64% of teens use AI chatbots. Can yours build something with them?
The work your teen grows into is changing with AI. In 6 short lessons, they build and publish an app with its own web link, and learn to explain how it works. No coding experience needed. Start with a free lesson: their first mini app in about 20 minutes.
Get the free lesson
Free · parent email only · no card
64% of teens use AI chatbots. Only about half of parents know. Pew Research Center, 2026
- Parents sign up. We never ask for your teen's name.
- Only AI tools whose terms allow teens
- Video lessons. No live classes, no chat with strangers.
What the numbers say
- 57%of US parents think AI will make it harder for their children to find jobs.Common Sense Media survey, March 2026, via Education Week
- No. 1AI and big data top employers' list of fastest-growing skills through 2030.World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report, January 2025
- 7 in 10companies call analytical thinking essential, still the core skill employers want most.World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report, January 2025
Nobody can say which jobs will exist when your teen is 30, and we won't pretend to. The lessons work on the two skills in that list: building with AI, and thinking through what it made. Your teen builds an app, publishes it and explains how it works.
How it works
Watch a 5-6 minute lessonOne idea per lesson, shown on screen.
Build one small piece in their own appEvery lesson ends with a task they do themselves.
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:
Study appmade by our team 
Number gamemade by our team 
Club pagemade by our team
Who did the thinking?
It is the first question a lot of parents ask, so the lessons are built around it: your teen builds the app and explains it. 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
It's their own project, not homework.
Safe for teens, set up by parents
Privacy
- 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.
Screen time
- Each lesson is 5-6 minutes of video, then a task in their own app. The Starter plan spreads the 6 lessons over 4 weeks.
- No live classes and no chat with strangers: just videos and a weekly email to you.
- The instructors are videos. They never chat with your teen.
Built around where beginners get stuck
Each lesson solves one common wall and ends with a small task in their own app.
- 1. Shrink the idea. A small, real problem, planned on a 5-line card.
- 2. Talk to AI like a builder. Clear requests, one change at a time, and a log of what they asked.
- 3. Safe to share. A safety check with you, then the app goes live on its own link.
- 4. Fix, don't restart. Describe the bug, read the error, fix one thing at a time.
- 5. Give the app a memory. It keeps a score or setting, and they can say where that lives.
- 6. Show it off, and own it. A 60-second video for the family and an authorship card.
Pick an instructor
Three instructors, each with 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.
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.
Why not just use ChatGPT?
A chatbot on its own can help a lot. Here is what the lessons add.
| A chatbot on its own | Teen AI Builders | |
|---|---|---|
| Order | Your teen decides what to ask, and when | Six lessons, in an order that builds one app |
| Getting stuck | Errors often end in starting over | Each lesson covers a place where beginners stall |
| Safety | Each tool's age rules are yours to check | Only tools whose terms allow teens, listed for you first |
| Your view | You see what they choose to show | A 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
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
The full course is US$59 and comes next. If you have the Starter, you pay only the difference (US$40).
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.
Get the free lesson
We email you a link to confirm your address. The free lesson arrives right after you confirm your email.
Check your inbox to confirm.
We sent you a link. Click it and the free lesson opens right away. If you don't see it, look in spam or promotions.
Thank you. Your answers help us decide what to teach next.
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?
The free lesson takes about 20 minutes: a 6-minute video, then they build along. Starter lessons are 5-6 minutes of video each, plus the task at the end. 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 Will, Matilda and Liam.
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