TL;DR
Roblox is massive with elementary kids, but the default settings are way too open. Here's what to lock down before your child starts playing:
- Account PIN (prevents your kid from changing settings)
- Privacy settings (Friends/No One for contact)
- Spending controls (monthly limit + PIN for purchases)
- Chat restrictions (Friends only or off entirely for under-9s)
- Experience restrictions (filter out inappropriate games)
This takes about 15 minutes and will save you so much stress later.
Roblox isn't just a game—it's a platform with millions of user-created experiences, and the quality and safety vary wildly. Your 7-year-old could be playing a perfectly innocent obstacle course one minute and stumble into something with simulated violence or predatory chat the next.
The good news? Roblox actually has robust parental controls. The bad news? They're not enabled by default, and they're buried in menus that assume you already know what you're doing.
Most elementary kids (we're talking ages 5-11 here) don't have the judgment to navigate Roblox safely without guardrails. They'll accept friend requests from strangers, spend all your money on digital pets, or wander into games that are technically allowed but definitely not appropriate. Setting up controls isn't about not trusting your kid—it's about not trusting the internet.
Do not—I repeat, do not—hand your child a device and say "go make a Roblox account." You need to be the one who sets it up so you control the email address and password.
What to do:
- Go to roblox.com and create the account using your email address (not your child's, even if they have one)
- Enter your child's real birthdate—this matters because Roblox applies age-based restrictions automatically
- Choose a username together (reminder: they can't change this later without paying, so make it count)
- Create a strong password and save it in your password manager
Why this matters: If you use your email, you'll get notifications about friend requests, purchases, and account changes. If your kid creates the account, they'll use a fake birthdate to bypass restrictions (yes, even your sweet 8-year-old will do this).
This is the most important step and the one parents skip most often. An Account PIN is a 4-digit code that prevents your child from changing any of the settings you're about to configure.
How to set it up:
- Log into the account on a computer or mobile browser (not the app—this is easier on desktop)
- Click the gear icon (Settings) in the upper right
- Go to Security
- Scroll down to Account PIN and click "Add"
- Create a 4-digit PIN (don't use 1234 or your kid's birthday, come on)
Pro tip: Don't tell your child this PIN exists. If they ask why they can't change settings, you can say "that's how I set up the account" and move on.
By default, Roblox allows anyone to message your child, follow them, and see their activity. Let's fix that.
Where to go: Settings → Privacy
What to change:
- Who can message me? → Set to "Friends" or "No one" (I recommend "Friends" for kids 8+, "No one" for younger)
- Who can chat with me in app? → "Friends" or "No one"
- Who can chat with me in game? → "Friends" or "No one"
- Who can invite me to VIP Servers? → "Friends" or "No one"
- Who can join me? → "Friends" (prevents randoms from following your kid into games)
For kids under 9: Honestly, just set everything to "No one" or "Friends" and turn off chat entirely. They don't need to be chatting with internet strangers while playing a game about collecting pets.
For kids 9-11: "Friends" is reasonable, but have a conversation about only accepting friend requests from people they know in real life. Learn more about talking to kids about online friendships
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Roblox uses a virtual currency called Robux, and kids can burn through it fast. A $10 Robux purchase can disappear in minutes on avatar accessories or game passes.
Where to go: Settings → Parental Controls (yes, this is a separate section from Privacy)
What to set up:
- Monthly Spend Restriction: Choose a limit ($10, $25, $50, or custom). I recommend starting at $10/month for elementary kids—you can always increase it.
- Require PIN for purchases: Turn this ON. Your Account PIN will now be required for any Robux spending.
Important: If you've already added a payment method to the account, your child can still make purchases unless you enable the PIN requirement. Don't skip this.
Real talk: Robux is real money. A $10/month limit teaches budgeting and prevents those "Mom, I accidentally spent $200" situations. If you want to understand the Robux economy better, it's worth digging into.
Roblox has millions of user-created games (they call them "experiences"), and they range from totally innocent to... not. The platform uses a maturity rating system, but it's imperfect.
Where to go: Settings → Parental Controls → Experience Controls
What to choose:
- All Ages (9+): Appropriate for elementary kids. Filters out experiences with moderate violence, crude humor, or romantic themes.
- 9+ (Mild): Slightly more permissive but still reasonable for older elementary kids.
Do NOT choose:
- 13+ or 17+ for elementary kids. Just don't. These categories include realistic violence, strong language, and mature themes.
Note: Even with filters on, your kid might still encounter something questionable—user-generated content is unpredictable. That's why the next step matters.
Roblox chat is where most of the safety issues happen. Kids get friend requests from strangers, encounter inappropriate language, or worse—adults trying to groom them.
Where to go: Settings → Privacy (same place as Step 3)
Your options:
- Turn chat off entirely (best for kids under 9)
- Set chat to "Friends only" (reasonable for 9-11 year-olds who understand online safety)
- Leave chat on but monitor it (not realistic for most parents, honestly)
If you allow chat: Have a clear conversation about never sharing personal information (real name, school, location, phone number) and only accepting friend requests from real-life friends. Here's how to talk about online safety without scaring them.
Restricted Mode is Roblox's strictest setting—it only allows your child to play experiences that have been verified by Roblox as appropriate for all ages.
Where to go: Settings → Parental Controls → Account Restrictions
Turn this ON if:
- Your child is under 8
- They're new to Roblox and you want to start cautious
- You want maximum peace of mind
Turn this OFF if:
- Your child is 9+ and you've already set Experience Controls to "All Ages"
- You're okay with a slightly wider range of content
Trade-off: Restricted Mode limits the number of games your child can access, which might frustrate them if their friends are playing something that's not on the approved list. For kids under 8, I think it's worth it.
All of these settings work across devices—computer, tablet, phone, Xbox, whatever. Once you've configured them on the website, they'll apply everywhere.
One catch: The Roblox app doesn't let you change parental controls—you have to do that through the website. This is actually good because it means your kid can't mess with settings from their iPad.
You've locked down the account, but you still want to keep an eye on things without becoming a helicopter parent. Here's the balance:
Weekly check-ins:
- Ask what games they've been playing (not in an interrogation way—just "what's fun this week?")
- Look at their Friends list together and talk about who they know in real life
- Check their account activity (Settings → Account Info → My Transactions) to see what they're spending Robux on
Red flags to watch for:
- Suddenly secretive about what they're playing
- Asking to add friends you don't recognize
- Talking about "someone they met on Roblox" who's being really nice to them (this is grooming behavior)
Healthy signs:
- Playing with school friends or siblings
- Excited to show you what they've built or achieved
- Asking for Robux for a specific in-game item they've been saving for
"All my friends are playing a game I can't access!" This will happen if you have Restricted Mode on. You can either:
- Check the game yourself and decide if it's actually fine (sometimes the filters are overly cautious)
- Explain that different families have different rules and that's okay
- Compromise by adjusting Experience Controls instead of using Restricted Mode
"I need Robux to play with my friends!" Most games are free to play. Robux is for cosmetic items, game passes, and premium features. Decide as a family whether you'll give an allowance, tie it to chores, or make it a birthday/holiday gift. Here's a guide to Roblox economics if you want to go deeper.
"Someone keeps asking me to be their friend and I don't know them." Perfect teaching moment. Talk about how people online aren't always who they say they are, and it's safest to only be friends with people you know in real life. Decline the request together.
Setting up Roblox parental controls takes 15 minutes and makes a massive difference in your child's safety and your peace of mind. The defaults are way too permissive for elementary kids, but with these settings locked down, Roblox can actually be a pretty fun, creative platform.
Your checklist:
- ✅ Account created with your email and their real birthdate
- ✅ Account PIN set up (and not shared with your kid)
- ✅ Privacy settings locked to "Friends" or "No one"
- ✅ Monthly spending limit + PIN for purchases
- ✅ Experience Controls set to "All Ages" or "9+"
- ✅ Chat restricted or turned off
- ✅ Restricted Mode enabled (optional, for younger kids)
Next steps: Have a conversation with your child about what's okay and what's not on Roblox. Set expectations about screen time, spending, and who they can interact with. And then—this is key—actually let them play and have fun. You've built the guardrails; now they get to explore safely.
If you want to dig deeper into what games are actually good on Roblox (because there are some genuinely creative ones), check out our guide to age-appropriate Roblox experiences. And if you're wondering whether Roblox is even worth it compared to other options, here's our take on Roblox vs. Minecraft.
You've got this.