When children play online, they’re not just gaming — they’re practising real-world decision-making. Inside Roblox, they plan, adapt, and negotiate, strengthening executive function skills that support learning and life. Parents don’t need to police play — just join it. Co-playing, reflecting, and creating together turn screen time into shared time, building trust, resilience, and genuine connection.

A boy’s love of Roblox revealed more than play — it showed how gaming can mirror real-life coping. Through Henry’s story, we see that virtual strategies for overcoming obstacles can reflect a child’s resilience, creativity, and problem-solving in the real world. The question isn’t whether gaming is good or bad, but how we help children use what they learn in play to navigate life’s challenges.

Roblox now has more daily players than the UK has schoolchildren — and many aren’t kids. As an educational consultant, I explore how platforms like this are evolving, and how digital play shapes young people's thinking, confidence, and wellbeing