Roblox Game Design for Kids: Create Your Own Obby Lesson Plan

Engage young creators with this hands-on, no-code lesson plan where they design their own Roblox obstacle course (Obby)! This activity teaches the fundamentals of game design—theme, challenge, and reward—using just paper and pencils. Perfect for elementary classrooms and homeschoolers, this project integrates ELA, Arts, and Technology standards. Complete with differentiation strategies and a simple assessment guide, this is the perfect offline project to channel a love for Roblox into valuable creative and critical thinking skills.

Create Your Own Custom Lesson Plan
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Lesson Plan: Design Your Dream Roblox Obby!

Materials Needed:

  • Paper (large sheets like poster board are great, but standard paper is fine)
  • Pencils, colored pencils, markers, or crayons
  • Optional: Ruler, stickers, or other craft supplies
  • Optional: Access to a device to look at examples on Roblox (with supervision)
  • "Obby Design Blueprint" worksheet (a simple sheet with boxes for drawing and lines for writing)

1. Learning Objectives (The Goal)

By the end of this lesson, Lachlan will be able to:

  • Identify and describe the key elements of a fun game (theme, challenge, and reward).
  • Design and plan a unique multi-stage Roblox obstacle course ("Obby") on paper.
  • Verbally present his game idea, explaining the rules and features to an audience (you!).

2. Alignment with Standards (The "Why")

  • ELA/Writing & Speaking: Organizes ideas sequentially (W.2.2) and presents information clearly (SL.2.4).
  • Arts: Uses visual art elements to communicate ideas and tell a story (VA:Cr2.1.2a).
  • Technology & Engineering Design: Follows a design process to brainstorm, plan, and create a solution to a problem (a fun game is the solution!).

3. Instructional Strategies & Activities (The "How")

Part 1: The Spark - What Makes a Game FUN? (10 minutes)

  1. Hook/Discussion: Start by playing or talking about Lachlan's favorite Roblox Obby. Ask questions like:
    • "What is the name of your favorite Obby? What is the theme (like a volcano, a rainbow, a giant's kitchen)?"
    • "What was the hardest obstacle? What made it hard but still fair?"
    • "What was the most fun part? Was it a cool jump, a maze, or something else?"
    • "What happens when you win? Is there a cool prize or a fun area to explore?"
  2. Introduce Core Concepts: Explain that great game designers think about three main things:
    • Theme: The overall idea or story of the game. (e.g., "Escape the Library!")
    • Challenge: The fun obstacles that players must overcome. Good challenges are tricky, but not impossible.
    • Reward: What the player gets for finishing. This makes winning feel great!

Part 2: The Blueprint - Design Your Obby (25-30 minutes)

  1. Brainstorming: Ask Lachlan: "If you could build ANY Obby in the world, what would it be about?" Help him brainstorm a cool theme. Write it at the top of the paper. (Examples: "Dinosaur Jungle Adventure," "Journey Through the Human Body," "The Floor is Lava: Bedroom Edition").
  2. Guided Design: Explain that he is now the Game Designer. His job is to draw a map of his Obby from Start to Finish. He should include at least 4-5 different obstacles.
    • "Let's start with Stage 1. What's the first challenge?" (e.g., jump across floating lily pads).
    • "Great! After that, what's Stage 2? Let's make it a different kind of challenge." (e.g., a maze made of giant books).
    • Encourage variety: include jumps, moving platforms, things to dodge, simple mazes, or "trust" jumps where the path is invisible.
  3. Creative Application (The Main Task): Give Lachlan the paper/worksheet and drawing tools. Let him draw out each stage of his Obby. For each drawing, have him write a short sentence describing the challenge. Prompt him: "What does the player have to *do* here?"
  4. Plan the Reward: Remind him to design the "Winner's Circle" at the end. What is the reward? A special badge? A cool gear item? A dance party room? Have him draw and describe it.

Part 3: The Pitch - Present Your Game! (5 minutes)

  1. Share and Explain: Have Lachlan stand up and present his "Obby Design Blueprint" to you as if he were a real game developer pitching an idea.
  2. Ask Questions: Act as the "studio head" and ask questions like:
    • "What part of your game do you think players will love the most?"
    • "What makes your Obby different from other ones on Roblox?"
  3. Celebrate! Praise his creativity and great ideas. This is the most important step!

4. Differentiation and Inclusivity (Making it a Great Fit)

  • For Extra Support: Use a worksheet with pre-drawn boxes labeled "Stage 1," "Stage 2," etc. Provide sentence starters like "First, you have to _______." Offer to write down his descriptions as he says them aloud.
  • For an Extra Challenge (Extension):
    • Design a "Game Pass": Have him design a special power or item players could buy, like a "Super Jump Potion" or a "Safety Cloud." What would it do? What would it look like?
    • Add a "Secret": Encourage him to add a hidden badge or a secret room somewhere in his Obby design.
    • 3D Model: Use building blocks (like LEGOs) or clay to build a physical model of one of his favorite obstacles from his design.

5. Assessment Methods (Checking for Understanding)

  • Formative (During the lesson): Listen to his answers and ideas during the initial discussion and brainstorming. Observe if he is able to apply the concepts of theme, challenge, and reward in his design.
  • Summative (End of lesson): The final "Obby Design Blueprint" serves as the main assessment. Use a simple checklist:
    • Did the Obby have a clear theme?
    • Did the design include at least 4 different challenges?
    • Was there a clear reward at the end?
    • Was Lachlan able to explain his game idea during the presentation?