---
title: "Lua for Kids: Learn Lua and Luau with Real Code"
description: "Lua for kids from the source: what Lua and Roblox Luau are, how they differ, three short programs to run in a browser today, and live classes for ages 8 to 14."
canonical: https://learn.modernagecoders.com/lua-for-kids
source: src/pages/lua-for-kids.html
---
> Lua for kids from the source: what Lua and Roblox Luau are, how they differ, three short programs to run in a browser today, and live classes for ages 8 to 14.

Quick answer

Lua is a small, free programming language made at a university in Brazil, and Luau, the language of Roblox Studio, is built from Lua 5.1. Children aged about 8 to 14 can learn it live online with Modern Age Coders, in a batch or one to one, through our Roblox Game Coding course, whose second month teaches Luau from zero inside Roblox Studio.

Learn Lua with a teacher

## Three courses for a child who wants to code in Lua

All three are live, with the same teacher each week, and each one builds on whatever your child has already made.

[![Roblox Game Coding for Kids course thumbnail](/images/roblox-coding-kids.webp)  LK / 01 Roblox scripting with Luau Six months for children aged 8 to 14. Studio skills first, then Luau from zero. Open the syllabus →](/courses/roblox-game-coding-for-kids-lua-course)[![Game Development for Kids course thumbnail](/images/game-dev-kids.webp)  LK / 02 Game making for kids For 8 to 12 year olds who like variety: three game platforms, one teacher. Open the syllabus →](/courses/game-development-masterclass-for-kids)[![Python and AI for Kids course thumbnail](/images/python-kids.webp)  LK / 03 Python for kids Ages 9 to 12. The natural second language after Lua. Open the syllabus →](/courses/python-ai-kids-masterclass)

What Lua is

## Lua in eight facts, from the people who make it

Rather than repeat other summaries, here is what lua.org, the official site, says about the language, so a parent knows what their child is actually learning.

| Question | What lua.org says |
| --- | --- |
| What is it? | "a powerful, efficient, lightweight, embeddable scripting language" |
| Who makes it? | A team at PUC-Rio, the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil |
| What does the name mean? | Moon, in Portuguese. It is pronounced LOO-ah, and lua.org asks people to write Lua, not LUA |
| How old is it? | Versions have been released and used in real applications since its creation in 1993 |
| Latest version | Lua 5.5, released on 22 Dec 2025; the current release is Lua 5.5.1, released on 03 Aug 2026 |
| How big is it? | The Lua 5.5.1 package takes 390K compressed, and the source is around 32000 lines of C |
| Where is it used? | lua.org names games such as World of Warcraft and Angry Birds, and calls Lua the leading scripting language in games |
| What does it cost? | Nothing: free open-source software under the MIT license, usable for any purpose |

### Why small matters for a child

A language small enough to describe in one reference manual is a language a ten-year-old can hold in their head. Lua has a short list of keywords and one main way to build collections of data, the table. Children reach the point of writing their own games much sooner than in larger languages.

The manual describes Lua as dynamically typed, which it explains as "variables do not have types; only values do." In practice a child can write `score = 10` without first announcing that score is a number.

### Two rules that trip up beginners

Lua is case-sensitive. The manual’s own example is that `and` is a reserved word, but And and AND are two different, valid names. So a capital letter in the wrong place is enough to stop a program, and spelling is the first thing to check.

Only two values count as false: the manual says both nil and false make a condition false, and any other value makes it true. That includes zero, which surprises children who have met other languages first.

Sources, read 17 October 2026: [About Lua](https://www.lua.org/about.html), [Lua version history](https://www.lua.org/versions.html) and the [Lua 5.5 Reference Manual](https://www.lua.org/manual/5.5/manual.html). We are not connected with Lua.org or PUC-Rio.

Type it, run it

## Three Lua programs a child can run today

Three short programs we wrote for a first Lua session. We used only functions described in the Lua reference manual: print, ipairs, string.format and math.random. They run in any recent version of Lua, including the browser sites listed on lua.org.

***Program 1 · variables and decisions**lua*

```
-- Program 1: a greeting robot (ours)
local name = "Maya"
local age = 10

print("Hello, " .. name .. "!")

if age >= 13 then
  print("The teen group is for you.")
elseif age >= 8 then
  print("Time for your first game script.")
else
  print("Scratch first, then Lua.")
end
```

With age set to 10 it prints two lines: Hello, Maya! and then Time for your first game script. Change the number and run it again to see the other branches.

***Program 2 · a table and a loop**lua*

```
-- Program 2: coins collected on five levels (ours)
local coins = {12, 0, 7, 25, 3}
local total = 0

for level, amount in ipairs(coins) do
  if amount ~= 0 then
    total = total + amount
  end
  print("Level " .. level .. ": " .. amount)
end

print(string.format("Total coins: %d", total))
```

The manual says ipairs walks a table from position 1 upward, up to the first absent index. Our arithmetic for the final line: 12 + 7 + 25 + 3 = 47, so it prints Total coins: 47. The two dots join pieces of text together, and the tilde-equals sign means not equal.

***Program 3 · a function and randomness**lua*

```
-- Program 3: a dice duel against the computer (ours)
local function roll()
  return math.random(1, 6)
end

local you = roll()
local robot = roll()
print("You rolled " .. you .. ", the robot rolled " .. robot)

if you > robot then
  print("You win!")
elseif you < robot then
  print("The robot wins this time.")
else
  print("A draw. Roll again!")
end
```

The manual says Lua seeds its random generator so that results differ each time the program runs. Our probability note: two dice make 36 equally likely pairs and 6 of them are draws, so a draw comes up about once in six games (6 / 36 = 1/6).

| Task | Hint | You know it works when |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Greet three different names | Copy the print line and change the name | Three greetings appear, each on its own line |
| Add a sixth level to Program 2 | Put another number at the end of the table | The total grows by exactly that number |
| Count the empty levels | Make a second variable that adds 1 when amount is 0 | With the table above it prints 1 |
| Make the dice fairer to you | Roll two dice for yourself and keep the higher | You win clearly more often over twenty games |
| Play three rounds | Wrap the duel in a loop that runs three times | A final line announces who won more rounds |

Lua and Roblox

## Lua and Luau: what stays the same, what Roblox added

Roblox does not run plain Lua. It runs Luau, and Roblox’s documentation describes Luau as a fast, small, safe, gradually typed embeddable scripting language derived from Lua 5.1. The Luau project’s own history says that around 2006, Roblox started using Lua 5.1 as a scripting language for games, and later reshaped it.

| Feature | Lua 5.5 | Luau |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Starting point | The current official Lua | Built on the Lua 5.1 syntax, with additions |
| Comments, tables, if and for | The core of the language | The same, so Lua lessons carry straight over |
| Adding to a variable | Written out: `total = total + amount` | Also allows compound assignment: `+=`, `-=`, `*=` and others |
| Skipping a loop step | No continue statement in the manual | Has continue, which must be the last statement in the block |
| Putting values into text | Joining with two dots, or string.format | Backtick strings with braces, such as Total: {total} |
| Types | Values carry types; variables do not | Optional type annotations, checked by a gradual type system |
| Numbers | Integers and floats since Lua 5.3 | A single number type, a 64-bit IEEE754 double |
| New in the latest release | Declarations for global variables, among other changes | Separate releases on luau.org |

***Program 2 in Luau · for Roblox Studio**luau*

```
-- Program 2 again, rewritten in Luau (ours)
local coins: {number} = {12, 0, 7, 25, 3}
local total = 0

for _, amount in coins do  -- Luau loops over a table directly
  if amount == 0 then
    continue                -- skip empty levels
  end
  total += amount
end

print(`Total: {total}`)
```

Same coins, same answer: it prints Total: 47. Every new piece here, the type annotation, looping over a table without ipairs, continue, += and the backtick string, is documented on luau.org. It will not run in plain Lua, which is exactly the lesson.

### Learn Lua first, or go straight to Luau?

Our Roblox course works inside Roblox Studio from the first week, because that is where the excitement is, and its second month teaches Luau from zero: variables, values, then loops and functions. Those four ideas are identical in both, and a child who owns them reads any Roblox script with confidence.

The extras Luau adds are conveniences. A good way to meet them is one at a time, with the long Lua way shown first, as in the two versions of Program 2 above.

### What Roblox adds on top of the language

Separate from Luau itself, Roblox gives scripts a huge library of game objects: players, parts, sounds, events. That library is Roblox-only. Lua and Luau are the grammar; the Roblox engine is the world the grammar talks about.

Our [guide to making a Roblox game](/how-to-make-a-roblox-game) shows three Roblox scripts that use that library, including a leaderboard and a coin that counts.

Sources, read 17 October 2026: [Why Luau?](https://luau.org/why), [Luau syntax by example](https://luau.org/syntax), the Roblox Creator documentation page on Luau, and lua.org. Roblox Corporation has no connection with Modern Age Coders.

Where to write it

## Where a child can write and run Lua, including on a Chromebook

This is the practical question in many American homes, where the school laptop is a Chromebook. The answer depends on whether your child is writing plain Lua, plain Luau, or a Roblox game.

| What your child is writing | Where it runs | Works on a Chromebook? |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plain Lua, like Programs 1 to 3 | Lua installed on a computer, or a browser site from the list on lua.org’s demo page | Yes, through a browser site |
| Plain Luau, like the rewrite above | The Try Luau online playground on luau.org | Yes, in the browser |
| A Roblox game | Roblox Studio on Windows or Mac | No: Roblox says Studio cannot run on Chromebooks |

### A note for parents on browser sites

The sites on lua.org’s demo page are run by other companies, not by the Lua team. Check each site’s terms and sign-up rules with your child before using one, and prefer sites that run code without an account.

The Luau playground is run by the Luau project itself, which makes it the simplest place to try the Luau version of Program 2 above.

### If Roblox Studio is the goal

Roblox Studio needs a Windows or Mac computer, and Roblox’s education team suggests Studio for children of about 10 and older. Children younger than that, or without such a computer yet, lose nothing by starting with plain Lua in a browser.

When the computer arrives, the move is short: the same loops and tables, now moving parts and counting coins.

A first course

## Ten classes from first print to first Roblox script

A path we suggest for a child starting Lua one to one, ages about 9 to 13. Younger children take it more slowly and older ones skip ahead.

| Class | What the child writes | The idea underneath |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Program 1, then a robot that greets the family | Variables and text |
| 2 | Choose-your-path stories with if and elseif | Decisions |
| 3 | Program 2 and the practice set | Tables and loops |
| 4 | A times-table quiz that keeps score | Loops with a counter |
| 5 | Program 3, then a rock-paper-scissors game | Functions and randomness |
| 6 | The Luau rewrite and the four Luau extras | One idea, two dialects |
| 7 | First Roblox Studio script: a part that changes color | Objects and properties |
| 8 | A coin that counts points | Events |
| 9 | A small obstacle course with checkpoints | Putting it together |
| 10 | Explaining every line of their own game to the class | Reading code aloud |

### Ages 8 and 9

Shorter programs, lots of changing numbers to see what happens. Some start in Scratch, which shares the same ideas.

### Ages 10 to 12

The full ten classes, then on to the rest of our Roblox course.

### Ages 13 and 14

Faster through the core, then Luau types and modules, and a step towards Python or C#.

After Lua

## What Lua prepares a child for

When Lua is the first language a child types rather than drags, what comes next matters as much as the first program.

| If your child enjoyed | Try next | Why it follows |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Scripting games in Roblox | More Luau, in our Roblox course | Bigger games, the same language |
| Writing the programs themselves | Python | Tables become lists and dictionaries; loops and functions look familiar |
| Making games outside Roblox | Godot or Unity, later | Full game engines for teenagers |
| Puzzles and logic | Coding challenges | The same loops and conditions, under a clock |

See also our [Roblox coding classes](/roblox-coding-classes-for-kids), [Python for 10 year olds](/python-for-10-year-olds) and [Minecraft vs Roblox for learning to code](/blog/minecraft-vs-roblox-which-teaches-kids-to-code).

Signs of progress

## How a child’s Lua grows

Four steps we watch for, from copying to inventing.

| Stage | You will notice |
| --- | --- |
| 1. Copier | Types programs exactly and fixes typos when they break |
| 2. Changer | Edits numbers and words to make the program do something new |
| 3. Combiner | Puts a loop inside an if, or a function inside a loop, without being told |
| 4. Inventor | Starts a blank file with a plan of their own |

### For parents

The jump from copier to changer can come quickly. Ask your child to show you what one number in their program does.

Combiner is the big one. It is where a teacher earns their keep, by setting puzzles that need two ideas at once.

### For kids

When something breaks, read the error message slowly, from start to end, before changing anything.

Say what each line does out loud. If you cannot, that is the line to ask about.

All courses

## Nine courses for young coders in the US

Every one is live online, with one regular teacher, in a batch or one to one.

I

### Kids

Ages 6 to 12

LK / KID / 01

#### Scratch coding

Events and loops in blocks, a gentle start.

[Open the syllabus](/courses/scratch-programming-complete-course)

LK / KID / 02

#### Roblox game coding

Lua thinking inside Roblox Studio.

[Open the syllabus](/courses/roblox-game-coding-for-kids-lua-course)

LK / KID / 03

#### Minecraft coding

Code that builds in a world they love.

[Open the syllabus](/courses/minecraft-coding-for-kids-course)II

### Next languages

Ages 9 and up

LK / NXT / 01

#### Python for kids

Text code with a huge library behind it.

[Open the syllabus](/courses/python-ai-kids-masterclass)

LK / NXT / 02

#### Game development for kids

Three platforms, one steady plan.

[Open the syllabus](/courses/game-development-masterclass-for-kids)

LK / NXT / 03

#### Python for teens

For older siblings ready for more.

[Open the syllabus](/courses/python-complete-masterclass-teens)III

### Teens

Ages 13 to 18

LK / TEN / 01

#### Game development for teens

Where Luau fans meet Unity and C#.

[Open the syllabus](/courses/complete-game-development-masterclass-for-teens)

LK / TEN / 02

#### JavaScript for teens

Web pages and browser games.

[Open the syllabus](/courses/javascript-course-for-teens-beginners-interactive-web)

LK / TEN / 03

#### C++ for teens

Speed, structure and game code.

[Open the syllabus](/courses/cpp-programming-masterclass-for-teens)

Lesson times

## Live Lua lessons on your family’s schedule

Weekdays or weekends, flexible: choose your batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at your convenience, weekend mornings or weekdays.

Weekdays

Pick a batch at an hour that suits your time zone.

Weekends

Morning classes before the rest of the day begins.

1-on-1

A slot picked around your family.

### Same teacher weekly

Who knows your child’s code by name.

### Typing, not dragging

Real text code from the first class.

### Errors read aloud

Children learn to understand them.

### Small wins each class

Every lesson ends with a program that runs.

### From home

Any state, any time zone.

### Group or private

Fifteen to twenty, or one to one.

Student work

## Projects made by our students

Games and apps from children who began with a single print line. The [student labs](/student-labs) collect many more.

![NutriLife AI nutrition coach project screenshot](/images/projects/nutrilife.webp)

AI and ML

#### NutriLife

An AI nutrition coach that reads what you eat and works you toward a target.

by Bhavya · [Open it](https://nutrilife-bhavya.lovable.app)

![Misti AI chatbot for maths and coding screenshot](/images/projects/misti.webp)

AI and ML

#### Misti

A chatbot that answers mathematics and programming questions, built and deployed by a student.

by Harshit · [Open it](https://misti.modernagecoders.com)

![GuardianX AI internet safety assistant screenshot](/images/projects/guardianx.webp)

AI and ML

#### GuardianX

An assistant that helps a young person recognise unsafe situations online.

by Vivaan · [Open it](https://guardianx-cybersaver.lovable.app)

![SkyCast weather forecast application screenshot](/images/projects/skycast.webp)

Web app

#### SkyCast

A weather forecasting site with live conditions for any location.

by Krish

Fees

## Fees

Lua and Luau are free to use, so families pay only for live teaching. Fees are monthly, shown in US dollars, with no term contract; stop after any month.

Free first class

USD 0

no card required

- Free first class
- See your child write a working program
- No payment details

Book it

Group batch

USD 100

a month, billed in US dollars

- Fifteen to twenty children
- One regular teacher
- Choose a batch time
- Monthly

Start here

One to one

USD 150

a month, billed in US dollars

- One child, one teacher
- A time that suits you
- Paced to your child

Enquire

What families say

## Rated 4.9 across 547 Google reviews

Reviews parents left on Google, unedited.

★★★★★

"The one step solution for my son. Modern Age Coders make learning coding so simple that kids love it. The teachers explain complex concepts clearly with practical exercises and interactive content."

Ria Mukherjee

Parent

★★★★★

"Modern Age Coders has been a game-changer for me. I struggled to grasp IT concepts and coding before joining, but their classes transformed everything. I can now confidently write complex programs with ease."

Samriddha Mondal

Student

★★★★★

"One of the most wonderful education centres out there. Education is not limited to school syllabus but focuses on skill development."

Vansh Agarwal

Student

★★★★★

"My child Dhairya is really enjoying the Modern Age Coders classes. This is his first online class and he eagerly looks forward to it. I can already see his improvement, and the teachers are very cooperative."

Sonam Oswal

Parent of Dhairya

★★★★★

"Modern Age Coders have wonderful teachers who teach in a clear, easy and practical way. The teacher boosts students' confidence and inspires them to learn without hesitation."

Sonu Goyal

Parent

★★★★★

"I highly recommend this computer coding class! The teachers are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about coding."

Ritu Kedia

Parent

Parents ask

## Lua for kids: questions parents ask

### Is Lua a good language for kids?

For a child who reads and types comfortably, yes. Lua is small, free and readable, and lua.org describes it as lightweight. It is also the base of Luau, the Roblox language, so a child who wants to make Roblox games has a strong reason to learn it.

### What is the difference between Lua and Luau?

Luau is the language of Roblox Studio. Roblox describes it as derived from Lua 5.1. It keeps the Lua core and adds extras such as +=, continue, backtick string interpolation and optional type annotations.

### What age can a child start learning Lua?

Around 9 or 10 is a sensible start, once a child reads and types comfortably. Roblox says its education team typically recommends Roblox Studio for ages 10 and up. Younger children often begin in Scratch, which teaches the same ideas in blocks.

### Is Lua free?

Yes. lua.org says Lua is free open-source software under the MIT license and may be used for any purpose at no cost. Roblox Studio, where Luau runs, is also free to install on Windows or Mac.

### Can my child learn Lua on a Chromebook?

Plain Lua and plain Luau, yes, in a browser: lua.org lists sites that run Lua online and luau.org has its own playground. Roblox games are different, because Roblox says Studio cannot run on Chromebooks.

### Is Lua hard to learn?

It is one of the gentler typed languages. The main surprises for children are that capital letters matter and that only nil and false count as false. The three programs on this page are each about a dozen lines.

### Does my child need Roblox to learn Lua?

No. Plain Lua runs anywhere Lua is installed or in a browser. Roblox becomes useful when your child wants to turn Lua skills into games friends can play.

### Which version of Lua is the latest?

lua.org says Lua 5.5 was released on 22 December 2025, and the current release is Lua 5.5.1, released on 3 August 2026. Roblox uses Luau, which follows its own releases.

### What can kids make with Lua?

Text games, quizzes and dice games in plain Lua; in Roblox Studio, full games with coins, leaderboards and obstacle courses. lua.org also lists professional games that use Lua, such as World of Warcraft and Angry Birds.

### When are the Lua classes held?

Weekdays or weekends, flexible: choose your batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at your convenience, weekend mornings or weekdays.

### How much do Lua classes cost?

The first class is free. After it, teaching is paid monthly, and the exact US dollar figure sits in the Fees section of this page.

Elsewhere on this site

## Related pages

More for US families with a child who wants to code games.

### [Coding classes in the USA](/coding-classes-in-united-states)

Our hub for American families.

### [How to make a Roblox game](/how-to-make-a-roblox-game)

Studio, three scripts, publishing.

### [Roblox coding classes](/roblox-coding-classes-for-kids)

The live course behind this page.

### [Scratch coding classes](/scratch-coding-classes-for-kids)

A gentle start for younger children.

### [Python for 10 year olds](/python-for-10-year-olds)

The usual language after Lua.

### [When to start coding](/best-age-to-start-coding)

Ages, readiness and first steps.

### [Roblox Studio errors fixed](/roblox-studio-errors-fixed)

Roblox Studio errors from the Creator docs: 403, 502, HTTP, endless waits.

### [How to make a video game for kids](/how-to-make-a-video-game-for-kids)

How to make a video game as a kid: free tools, seven steps and a real game to copy.

### [Video game coding classes for kids](/video-game-coding-classes-for-kids)

Video game coding classes for kids: tools by age, what classes teach, how to choose.

Start here

## Book a free Lua lesson

Let us know your child’s age, whether they already play or build in Roblox, and what computer they have. The teacher plans the first lesson around that, and your child leaves it with a program they wrote.

Curious about the method? Read [how a live class works](/how-we-teach), or browse [all our courses](/courses) and their syllabuses.

[WhatsApp us](https://wa.me/919123366161?text=Hello%20Modern%20Age%20Coders%2C%20my%20child%20in%20the%20US%20wants%20to%20learn%20Lua%20for%20Roblox.%20Could%20we%20book%20a%20free%20first%20lesson%3F) · [+91 91233 66161](tel:+919123366161) · [connect@modernagecoders.com](mailto:connect@modernagecoders.com)

Classes are taught by video from India, which is how we reach every US state with the same teachers. For a quick answer, message us on WhatsApp.

### Want a class sooner? Book a priority demo

A priority demo is a full class of about 45 to 60 minutes. After the class the mentor sends a written skill report and a personal learning roadmap on WhatsApp. If you enrol, the demo fee is adjusted against your first month's fee. Share your demo Order ID with us on WhatsApp and we take it off.

[Book a priority demo](/book-demo)

## Keep exploring Modern Age Coders

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### Learn more

- [C++ for Kids: First Real Code, Games and Puzzles (Ages 9-12)](/courses/cpp-programming-for-kids-course)
- [Coding vs Maths: Which Should Your Child Learn? The Honest Answer](/coding-vs-maths)
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### Free resources

- [AI & Machine Learning Tutorial: Basics to Deep Learning](/resources/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Introduction to Neural Networks](/resources/ai-and-machine-learning/introduction-to-neural-networks)
- [Loop Control and Pattern Printing](/resources/java/loop-control-and-patterns)
- [Natural Language Processing (NLP) Fundamentals](/resources/ai-and-machine-learning/natural-language-processing)

### From the blog

- [Coding for Kids: Guides for Parents](/blog/topic/kids-coding)
- [What Is an Algorithm? Simple Examples for Kids and Beginners](/blog/what-is-an-algorithm)
- [Armstrong Number: Definition, Full List and Python Program](/blog/armstrong-number-python-complete-guide-examples-code)
- [30+ Best Java Programs for Class 8 Students](/blog/30-best-java-programs-for-class-8-students)

### Start here

- [How Modern Age Coders teaches, small batches and real projects](/how-we-teach)
- [What Modern Age Coders families say](/love)

Free class[Priority demo](/book-demo)[Call us](tel:+919123366161)

---

*Canonical: https://learn.modernagecoders.com/lua-for-kids*