Is speedrunning OK for kids? A UK parent's guide to the hobby and its online side

The hobby itself: patience, planning and a lot of repetition

For many children, speedrunning is a way of getting more from a game they already own. It rewards planning a route, practising a tricky section and measuring progress against your own previous best, which some parents see as a positive habit.

Because a speedrun is just normal play done quickly, the game's content does not change. The PEGI rating on the box or store page is still the right guide. PEGI explains, for example, that PEGI 7 games can contain scenes that may frighten younger children, and PEGI 12 games can include mild swearing or fantasy violence. A speedrun of a PEGI 18 game is still a PEGI 18 game.

The repetition can be intense. Agreeing session lengths in advance, and ending on a break rather than a frustrating reset, helps keep it fun. The NHS Every Mind Matters site has general advice on sleep and wellbeing for families.

Leaderboard accounts and what is visible publicly

Submitting to a leaderboard such as Speedrun.com means creating an account with a public username, and runs normally include a public video link. A few points from the site's rules are useful for families:

• Usernames should be kept PG-13 and must not reference other users.
• Forums are expected to be PG-13; political and religious discussions are prohibited, as are harassment and hate speech.
• Doxxing, posting or seeking someone's personal information, is a bannable offence.
• Private messages only work for accounts at least seven days old, and users can block others.
• A player can ask for their run or name not to be listed, or be shown as "Anonymous".

Speedrun.com also suggests that leaderboard moderators be at least 16. A good family rule is to choose a username that does not include a real name, age, school or town.

Discord and community chat: the biggest change for families

Most speedrun communities organise themselves on Discord servers linked from the game's leaderboard page. These are useful for learning routes, but they are open spaces where children can meet adults they do not know.

Discord's terms say users must be at least 13 years old and meet the minimum age required in their country. Speedrun.com states that Discord servers associated with its game pages are expected to follow its code of conduct, but day-to-day moderation is done by community volunteers.

The UK Safer Internet Centre's advice for parents applies well here: talk regularly about which services your child uses, use privacy settings to control who can contact them, and remind them they can always end a conversation and tell a trusted adult. It suggests making a family agreement about which services to use and where in the house.

Recording runs is safer than streaming them

Leaderboards usually need a video, but that does not have to be a live stream. A recorded run can be checked before uploading for anything personal, such as a face cam, a voice saying a name, or a bedroom window with a visible street. Uploads can also be set to unlisted on YouTube so only people with the link can find them.

Live streaming is different because nothing can be edited out. The UK Safer Internet Centre notes that live broadcasts cannot be edited and what viewers have seen cannot be erased. For under-18s, recording and uploading is a sensible first step before any streaming.

Our starter guide explains how to record runs without streaming.

Unlisted is not the same as private: anyone with the link can still watch and share it. For very young runners, a parent can hold the upload account and share only the link needed for the leaderboard.

What the streaming platforms' own age rules say

If a young runner wants to stream, the platforms' own terms set the minimum requirements:

• Twitch - its terms say the service is not available to anyone under 13 (or a higher minimum age where local law requires). Users between that minimum age and the age of majority may only use Twitch under the supervision of a parent or legal guardian who agrees to the terms.
• YouTube - you may use the service from age 13; under-18s need a parent or guardian's permission. YouTube's live-streaming rules say anyone under 16 must have an adult visibly present in the live stream, and streams with unaccompanied under-16s may be removed or have chat disabled.
• Kick - its terms prohibit use by anyone under 13, and say under-18s may use it only with the supervision and consent of a parent or legal guardian.

In the UK the age of majority is 18, so on all three platforms a parent or guardian is expected to be involved for any under-18 user. Our streaming safety guide for teens covers settings in more detail.

Marathons, donations and money pressure

Charity marathons such as Games Done Quick are a common way children discover speedrunning. They are generally family-friendly in tone, but the format encourages donations, with goals and incentives read out live.

Points to talk through:

• Watching is free and nobody is expected to donate.
• Any donation should only go through the event's official link, agreed with a parent first.
• Donation messages may be read out on stream, so they should not include personal details.

Our marathon guide explains how these events work and which charities they support.

Where UK families can get help and report problems

If something goes wrong online, there are clear routes:

• Report on the platform first. Speedrun.com, Discord, Twitch, YouTube and Kick all have reporting tools for users and messages.
• UK Safer Internet Centre - a partnership of Childnet, the Internet Watch Foundation and SWGfL, with advice for parents and guidance on reporting.
• NSPCC - publishes advice on livestreaming and online video apps for parents, and runs a helpline for adults worried about a child on 0808 800 5000.
• Internet Watch Foundation - for reporting child sexual abuse material, anonymously.

Since 25 July 2025, Ofcom's Protection of Children Codes under the Online Safety Act have required in-scope online services to take steps to protect children in the UK. That does not replace parental involvement, but it does mean platforms have legal duties here.

If a child is in immediate danger, call 999.