Industry
Kids and education app development: ad-free games, parental gates and Kids Category rules
ODEL builds kids and education apps designed around the store rules first: no third-party ads or analytics, parental gates in front of purchases, links and settings, play that works for children who cannot read yet, and offline use. ODEL designed, built and publishes Toddly (learning games for ages 2 to 5), Painto (3D and 2D coloring for ages 2 to 8), Pofino (a 3D pretend-play world) and DREA (narrated bedtime audio stories for parents to play). Apple's Kids Category and Google Play's Families policy shape what you can measure, show and sell, so they go into the scope before design starts. ODEL does not make COPPA compliance claims; children's privacy laws need your own legal review. Projects start with a discovery call and a written scope, and the app ships under your developer account with the source code yours.
Who it is for
- Founders and educators building learning games, coloring, stories or pretend-play apps for young children
- Publishers and creators who want their characters or books turned into an ad-free app
- Parent-facing apps such as bedtime routines and stories
- Owners of a kids app rejected for ads, analytics or missing parental gates
When we are not the right fit
- School platforms that manage student records and need district contracts or certified privacy vendors
- Apps whose business model depends on ads, behavioral analytics or data from children
- Large content productions with dozens of episodes or games on a fixed short deadline that need a full animation team
What you get
- Game or activity design for a stated age band (5 and under, 6 to 8, 9 to 11)
- Spoken prompts and visual cues so pre-readers can play
- Parental gate in front of purchases, external links and settings
- No third-party advertising or analytics SDKs
- Offline play
- Subscription or one-time unlock behind the parental gate
- 2D (PixiJS) or 3D (Three.js) games in a Capacitor shell for iPhone and Android
- Store listing, age rating, privacy labels and Families policy answers
How the project runs
- 01
Age band and rules
We fix the target age band and list the Kids Category and Families constraints that follow from it before any design.
- 02
Play loop
A short, testable loop for each activity: what the child taps, hears and gets back.
- 03
Prototype with a child in mind
Builds on your phone or tablet early, so you can watch real play and adjust targets and pacing.
- 04
Monetization behind the gate
Paywall and purchases placed in a parent area behind a parental gate.
- 05
Review-ready submission
Age rating, privacy answers and review notes under your developer account.
- 06
Content updates
New activities, seasons and OS updates after launch.
Technology
- Capacitor with Vite and TypeScript
- PixiJS for 2D games
- Three.js for 3D
- Native in-app purchases (@capgo/native-purchases)
- Device text-to-speech and recorded audio
- Swift and SwiftUI when a native app fits better
Apps we built and run
Live products ODEL designed, built and publishes. They show the work better than any promise.
Questions about working with us
Can a kids app use analytics or ads?
In Apple's Kids Category, guideline 1.3 says apps should not include third-party analytics or third-party advertising, and guideline 5.1.4 says the same for apps intended primarily for kids, with narrow exceptions. Google Play's Families policy limits ads to self-certified ad SDKs with no personalized ads and bars persistent identifiers in apps only for children. Toddly shows no ads, Painto has no ads or third-party trackers, and Pofino has no ads, no analytics SDK and no tracking.
What is a parental gate?
An adult-level task a child cannot easily complete, placed before purchases, links out of the app and settings. Apple requires it in the Kids Category and suggests a voice prompt telling pre-literate children to ask a parent. Toddly and Painto put purchases and links behind one.
Do I need to comply with COPPA?
If your app is directed to children under 13 in the US and collects personal information, COPPA applies, according to the FTC. The simplest design is to collect none, which is how Pofino works (no account, no email, no tracking), but you should confirm your obligations with a lawyer. ODEL does not give legal advice or compliance claims.
How much does it cost to build this kind of app?
It depends on the number of games or activities, 2D or 3D art, recorded narration, how many languages, and iPhone only or both stores. ODEL quotes each project after a short discovery call, as a written scope with a fixed quote or a phased plan, and publishes no price list. For market context only: Clutch's 2026 pricing guide puts the most common app project budget at 10,000 to 49,999 USD (Clutch does not state its sample size), and a 2022 GoodFirms survey of 267 development firms put simple apps at 12,960 to 30,240 USD. Store costs come on top: Apple charges 99 USD a year and Google Play 25 USD once.
How long does it take to launch?
It depends on scope, how fast decisions get made and whether your store accounts are ready. The 2022 GoodFirms survey put simple apps at 3 to 7 weeks and complex ones at 8 to 14 weeks of development. Then add store time: Apple says it reviews 90% of submissions in under 48 hours, and new personal Google Play accounts must run a 14-day closed test with at least 12 testers before production. Kids apps usually need extra review time for age rating and Families answers, and a round of testing with real children.
What did ODEL learn building kids apps?
Pre-readers need sound and big targets: Toddly asks 'Where is the red one?' out loud, and Painto has a no-reading mode for ages 2 to 4. One app can grow with a child, like Toddly's puzzles that scale from 4 to 12 pieces. And leaving out ads and analytics simplifies the store forms.
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Tell us about your project
Tell us what you want to build. Your brief comes straight to the developer who would build it, and you get a written reply by email.
- No cost and no commitment for the first conversation
- A written scope and a fixed quote or a phased plan
- You own the app, the code and the store accounts