How to Teach Kids to Type: A Guide for Parents and Teachers
For parents, teachers and homeschoolers of children aged 4 to 10.
Children use keyboards at school earlier than ever, for online homework, coding clubs and writing projects. Kids who learn to touch type (typing without looking at the keys) can write as fast as they think. Kids who hunt and peck with one finger form a habit that is hard to break later. The good news is that 10 minutes a few times a week is enough, and it can feel like play.
When should children start learning to type?
There's no fixed age, but these are good signs that a child is ready:
- They recognise most letters of the alphabet.
- Their hands are big enough for their fingers to rest on the home row (A S D F and J K L ;) at the same time. This is usually around age 6 or 7.
- They can sit and focus on one activity for about 10 minutes.
Younger children (4–5) gain a lot from simply finding letters on the keyboard. That's what Balloon Pop on slow speed is for. Proper finger placement can come a little later.
What to expect at each age
| Age | Realistic goal | Best activity here |
|---|---|---|
| 4–5 | Find letters on the keyboard; know the space bar | Balloon Pop, Home row, 🐢 Slow, voice on |
| 6–7 | Home row with correct fingers; type 3-letter words | Lessons 1–6, Space Words (3-letter words) |
| 8–9 | All letters with correct fingers; 10–15 words per minute | Lessons 7–17, Space Words (sight and 4-letter words) |
| 10+ | Typing without looking; 15–25 words per minute | All lessons, Space Words big words on 🚀 Fast |
Every child is different. Focus on correct fingers and accuracy first. Speed comes naturally with practice.
How long should kids practise?
Short and often beats long and rare. Here's a simple routine:
- Ages 4–6: 5–10 minutes, 3 times a week.
- Ages 7–10: 10–15 minutes, 3–5 times a week.
- Do one lesson, then one game. The lesson teaches, and the game makes it fun.
- Stop while your child is still enjoying it, so they want to come back.
Seven tips that really help
- Find the bumps. Show your child the small raised bumps on the F and J keys. Pointer fingers always go back there, and it's how typists find home without looking.
- Sit like a typist. Feet flat, back straight, wrists floating just above the keyboard, screen at eye level.
- Use the colours. The keys in our lessons are coloured by finger. If your child presses a pink key, it should be with the pink finger on the hand picture.
- Don't rush. Correct fingers at a slow speed are better than fast typing with the wrong fingers. Our stars reward accuracy, not speed.
- Cover the hands (later). Once the home row feels easy, lay a light tea towel over your child's hands. It stops peeking!
- Celebrate stars and stickers. Young children love collecting. Check the sticker book on the home page together.
- Use the voice hint for pre-readers. With the 🗣️ button on, the site says the right key once whenever your child makes a mistake.
Using Tippy Typing in the classroom
The site needs no logins, so a whole class can start in seconds on any computer, Chromebook or tablet with a keyboard. Progress is saved in each device's browser.
- Warm-up (3 min): Balloon Pop on the row you are learning this week.
- Lesson (5 min): The next typing lesson. Fast finishers repeat it for 3 stars.
- Game (5 min): Space Words with this week's sight words level.
Children who finish early can try for a "perfect" 3-star lesson or beat their Balloon Pop best score.
Tablets, phones and keyboards
Every game has a tappable on-screen keyboard, so children can play on a tablet or phone. Real touch typing is learned on a physical keyboard, though. A cheap Bluetooth keyboard turns a tablet into a typing trainer. The site uses the QWERTY layout used in the USA, UK, India, Canada, Australia and many other countries.
Is it safe?
Yes. There are no accounts, no chat, and no way for children to contact anyone. We never ask for names, emails or photos. Stars are saved only on your own device. Lessons and games contain no ads. See our privacy policy for details.