How to Design a Website for Children

Millions of children use the internet and play online each and every day making them a new audience for the online digital realm. The ability to design websites for a younger audience is now a must in the web development world.

Children are usually stimulated by their senses and appealing to them through a number of factors in web design will help to immediately capture and draw their attention to your website online. By implementing a manner of design elements and user friendly principles specifically for children, you will ultimately be able to get a website that is suitable for them to use on a daily basis.

Research conducted using 3-12 year olds has shown that older children are gaining substantial web proficiency whilst younger kids still face many problems. In some circumstances, children are unsure of exactly how to use a website. This how-to guide can help web designers and developers to think about the common troubles children have when using websites.

The use of bright colours will immediately draw and catch attention. Children like to be drawn in with a manner of different colours no matter how extravagant and bright they are. Colour helps to stimulate a child’s senses which can be rather effective for retaining their interest and attention on a website.

The initial primary and secondary colours are some of the most popular colours to use when designing for children. Don’t be afraid to use lots of colours in one design. They can help to differentiate between sections on your website.

• Use colour to attract attention

Larger typography, bigger buttons and large call-to-action areas have become commonplace in modern web design for children. Children are drawn into simple, more obvious and recognisable objects and will try to click on these first. 

Not all children are very accurate with a mouse. Making the usability easier for them by widening the hover state on buttons will ensure more page views and interaction on the website.

A good example of this is seen in the image below. There are large hover functions on the CBBC website to make it easier for children to be more accurate on the website. Look at the main call to action points on your website to ensure they are obvious for your intended audience.

• Create larger hover-areas on buttons

Using large animated characters on a website makes a captivating way to grab and hold any child’s attention. Characters that children can relate to, well-known characters and cartoons children find funny and interesting will keep your visitors engaged on the site for longer.

• Design a character to help children navigate around your website.

The main focus point in any web design should be the navigation and the call-to-action areas. You can opt to simplify these areas so it makes it clear exactly what and where you what your site visitors to go. This will help younger children to navigate your website more effectively.

Think about the age of your audience. Text navigation may not work on a site aimed at 2-5 year olds as they perhaps may not yet be able to read. In this respect large buttons and graphics would work better.

• Use the hover function and mouse-over effects to change the curser to help visitors know when they can and cannot click
• Use graphics more for younger audiences

There usually is only one reason for a child to want to surf the web, and that is to be entertained. This means you need to cater to their every need. Animation, illustration, video or games can be used to draw their attention. There is no child known that wants to learn by reading pages of text. Instead use interactive elements on your website to educate them.

Javascript animation and effects in web design have come a long way. The use of Flash animation can draw the attention of most children. If you want your website to be found in search engines, look to the new features of HTML5. Animation is to be the next biggest thing to hit HTML.

• Incorporate some interaction on the website in index-friendly code and get those children clicking away.

There are various apps available on phones, tablets and computers that all have some kind of gaming aspect to them.
Games are one of the most effective ways to entertain and educate children at the same time.

• Include a games section on your website and get your audience learning whilst playing at the same time.

Kids go online to be entertained and in most circumstances, children have little patients online. If your website is not fast enough, interesting or they cannot understand how to use certain aspects of your website, they are more likely to bounce off and leave.

Due to their lack of experience online children are more likely to experiment on websites online. They will click in even the most strangest of places to see if there is any interaction. They are not as accurate with the mouse. They do not all read, so using images and icons with larger clickable areas will instantly help with their usability.

Kids have more tolerance to the amount of content and information on a page. They are more likely to want to use a website for its interactive purpose than an informational purpose.

Remember, most children will return to a website if they like it and they enjoyed using it so ensure you use good bespoke web design tactics to make a website entertaining for kids.