AI and kids: what parents actually need to know

Every parent has a version of the same moment. Your child opens a chat window, types a question into an AI tool, and you realise you have no idea whether that tool is safe, appropriate for their age, or even designed for them at all.

Here's the honest picture.

The age limit situation

Most major AI tools set their minimum age at 13. That includes ChatGPT, Claude, and Google Gemini. Users between 13 and 17 are supposed to have parental consent — and as of late 2025, OpenAI introduced a supervised teen mode for that age group. There are no technical restrictions preventing a child younger than 13 from creating an account, which means the safeguard is a tick box, not a wall.

Google Gemini has the same 13+ minimum, but Google Family Link supports supervised Gemini access for younger users, with image generation blocked for under-18s by default.

For schools, the picture shifted in 2025. From late July 2025, learners aged 13 and older can access Microsoft Copilot using their institutional education accounts, with no parental or guardian consent required.

The key takeaway: the 13+ age requirement is a terms of service condition, not a difficulty rating. A younger child can use these tools — but with a parent in the driving seat.

What's actually built for children

Khanmigo

Ages 6–18 · Free for teachers · ~£3/month for families

Built from the ground up for educational use. The core principle: it won't write your child's homework for them. It asks questions, prompts thinking, and guides kids toward answers rather than handing them over. Strongest for maths and science. Common Sense Media rates it 4 out of 5 for AI education — higher than ChatGPT or Gemini.

Gemini with Google Family Link

Under 13 with parent supervision

Gemini excels at visual projects and storybooks for ages 3–8. For younger children specifically, Gemini Storybook — where a parent creates and the child enjoys — works well with no child account needed at all.

ChatGPT

Ages 13+ with supervision

No dedicated parental dashboard. Parents can't monitor conversations or set topic restrictions within the app itself. Use with older children alongside clear ground rules. Always teach children to verify what it tells them — a 2025 Stanford study found middle-school students using AI for homework were 23% more likely to include fabricated citations in their work.

By age group

Primary (ages 5–11)

Parent-led tools or constrained educational platforms. Khanmigo with supervision, Gemini Storybook with a parent account, or school-provided tools. Free-form chat is too open-ended at this age.

Secondary (ages 11–16)

ChatGPT or Gemini with a clear household rule: AI can help you think, not think for you. The prompt cheat sheet below is designed specifically for this age group.

The rule that matters more than any tool

Every expert points to the same thing: AI works as a learning tool when the child still does the thinking. The moment AI does the thinking for them, learning stops.

Four rules for homework

Ask AI to help you understand — not to write it for you
Always check what it tells you against a second source
If you can't explain the answer in your own words, you haven't learned it yet
Never enter your name, school, address, or personal details

AI can make things up. It can confidently state wrong facts, invent citations, and get dates wrong. Treat every answer as a starting point — verify anything important against a textbook, teacher, or trusted website.

The goal isn't to keep children away from AI. It's to make sure they're using it the same way they'd use a library — as a place to find things out, not a place that does their work for them.