Photo by Designecologist
🌐 "Dad, how do I show my website to the WHOLE WORLD?"
Now that your child has built an interactive website (HTML in Part 1, CSS in Part 2, and JavaScript in Part 3), it's time for the most exciting step - publishing it online! This guide makes web hosting simple and safe for young developers.
Why Publishing Matters for Kids
Real-World Impact - Friends and family can visit their creation
Builds Confidence - "I made something REAL!"
Teaches Digital Responsibility - Learning about online safety
3 Safe, Free Ways to Publish (Ages 10+)
1. GitHub Pages (Best for Older Kids)
1. Create free account on [GitHub](https://github.com)
2. Click [+] → "New repository"
3. Name it `username.github.io` (replace username)
4. Upload HTML/CSS/JS files
5. Wait 2 minutes - site goes live!
🔗 Example: alexsmith.github.io
2. Netlify Drop (Easiest for Beginners)
1. Drag folder with website files to [Netlify Drop](https://app.netlify.com/drop)
2. That's it! Get a URL like `happy-panda-123.netlify.app`
3. Replit (Great for Ongoing Projects)
1. Make website in [Replit](https://replit.com)
2. Click "Share" → "Copy Site URL"
3. Anyone can now visit it!
What to Publish? Try These Starter Ideas
- "About Me" Page (With photos and hobbies)
- Game Collection (From Part 3 JavaScript projects)
- School Project (Book report as a webpage)
- Family Newsletter (Updated weekly)
Important Safety Lesson
Teach kids to:
- Never include personal info (address, school name)
- Use first names only
- Get parent permission before sharing links
- Understand that published means PUBLIC
Free Learning Resources
GitHub Guides: guides.github.com
Netlify Tutorial: Netlify 101
Replit Hosting: docs.replit.com
Top comments (3)
I would say that Replit hosting isn't as good as Glitch hosting. Replit costs money just to host stuff, and for static sites, is free, but requires a credit card. However, Glitch is totally free, has a color scheme to catch the kid's eye, and even has free .glitch.me domains that don't require a credit card.
Good Point, I think I will update this article with that one.
always cool seeing kids put stuff out there for real - i remember how pumped i'd get over my first projects. makes me wonder though, how early does this sense of digital confidence actually kick in and change how kids see what they can build?