Kids use smartphones very differently than adults. Even among kids, different age groups have different preferences when it comes to apps. A six-year-old will enjoy different apps than a three-year-old. This makes kid-friendly app development an overwhelming project for startups that lack the expertise.
If you are looking for a clear way forward on how you can refine your kids’ app idea, you have come to the right place. Or you could be planning to develop an app that appeals to a broad range of audiences, including kids, and wondering how you can make it kid-friendly. WDI will guide you through what you need to consider when planning to invest in an app for children.
Developing an app for kids is simple once you have the fundamentals in place. It is all about understanding how children of different age groups respond to stimuli and creating the ideal content for them. Even a small gap of three years can have a huge impact on a child’s IQ. So, let us understand what you have to consider when developing a kid-friendly mobile app.
Factors To Consider For Kid-Friendly App Development
1: Parents are the Decision Makers
While the children are going to be your ultimate TG, do not forget that it is the parents who will download the app. Your app should appeal to parents first so that they decide to download it for their kids. They are the gatekeepers to their children’s digital experiences. You can impress parents by ensuring them that the app provides value and educational benefits to their kids while being safe.
For example, WOKA, an app we developed, provides both fun and educational video games, thus catering to kids and their parents. The kids get the option to add products to the cart, but only the parents can make the purchase through an alternate app on their phones. This leads to more downloads and engagement, as both parents and kids have to download the app.
2: Narrow Down Your Target Audience
“Children” is not a good enough definition of a target audience. As mentioned earlier, even a small gap of 2-3 years can have a huge impact on a child’s IQ. So, you have to precisely define the age group of children you are targeting. Here are the age groups on the App Store and Play Store:
| Age Rating | App Store | Play Store |
|---|---|---|
| 4+ | Up To 5 | Up To 5 |
| 9+ | 6-8 | 6-8 |
| 12+ | 9-12 | 9-12 |
| 17+ | 13-17 | 13-17 |
| 18+ | 18+ | 18+ |
Note that the Google Play Store’s age ratings will vary depending on the region, as they are decided by the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC).
Once you have a clear picture of your target audience in mind, you can develop the app accordingly. Keep in mind that parents are also a part of your target audience, as mentioned earlier.
3: Stick to the Brighter Side of the Palette
Kids love bright and vibrant colors, there is no denying that. Kids respond to colors in a different way than adults. While adults like a more sophisticated design, kids need striking colors to grab their attention. This includes red, yellow, blue, pink, orange, etc.
Take inspiration from the toys kids love. They are all made up of bright and vibrant colors. Ever seen a kid with a plain black balloon?
In WOKA, we used a lot of vibrant colors such as blue, green, purple, etc. as they appeal to the younger target audience.
4: Make the App Responsive
You have to understand children’s psychology for successful kid-friendly app development. Kids are impatient. They want a response or feedback for everything they do. It motivates them to do it further. Parents and teachers often reward kids for their smallest achievements. It could be something as simple as a compliment or a tangible reward.
When developing an app for children, ensure that every action taken within the app has a response. Implement sound effects and animations that trigger when a button is pressed or any other action is executed. This will keep the kids engaged and give them a sense that they are headed in the right direction.
5: Simplicity is Mandatory
Even adults get stunned when they see dozens of buttons on the screen, but kids are sure to get lost and rage-quit the application. Kids love simple and straightforward stuff. Here are some things you can implement to make a kid-friendly UI design.
Limit the Options
Too many options are sure to confuse the young ones. Keep the number of buttons and CTAs as low as possible on every screen. If the situation demands a lot of options, design the screen in a way to keep them distinct and easy to understand.
Be Direct
If a button is expected to take you to the home screen, then it should take you to the home screen. Nothing fancy!
Use More Symbols
Try to use symbols, illustrations, and animations wherever possible instead of words. Kids have a weaker vocabulary, and they mostly cannot comprehend jargon or complex words. Use words that are very easy to understand for the age group you are targeting.
With our app, WOKA, we provided CTAs for all the major features of the app right on the home screen. All of the buttons have dedicated illustrations that merge seamlessly with the background. Children have to be spoon-fed and that is exactly how the UX for WOKA is.
6: Not All Kids Have a Network Connection
Most parents restrict internet usage for their kids or do not provide them with it at all. Allow the kids to enjoy certain features even without internet access. This will increase engagement, as the internet connection is not a barrier.
Allow Our Experts to Provide You with the Best
Hiring the right mobile app development company is the key to developing a successful kids’ app. WDI is here to guide you.
Whether it is decades of experience, awards from Clutch, or a successful kids’ app in the portfolio, you name it, we have it. When you choose WDI, you get access to the leading technologies, passionate mobile app developers, and AI-powered solutions for your project.
Let us have a chat about your app idea. Contact WDI today!
