Kid-proof your MacBook in one click. A free, open-source macOS app that locks the screen with fun animations so babies and toddlers can safely bang on the keyboard.

Every parent with a MacBook knows the moment: your toddler lunges for the keyboard, mashes keys, and suddenly you've sent a half-written email, opened 14 browser tabs, and enabled VoiceOver. Toddler Mode locks your entire Mac — keyboard shortcuts, trackpad gestures, Mission Control, Dock, menu bar, Cmd-Tab, volume keys, brightness keys — everything. Your kid sees colorful letters, shapes, sounds, and animations. Your Mac stays safe.

No subscription. No account. No data collection. Just a single app.

• Blocks all input — Cmd-Tab, Mission Control, Ctrl-Space, volume/brightness keys, trackpad gestures, hot corners — nothing gets through
• Four play modes:
  • Free Play — Keys spawn colorful bouncing letters, clicks create shapes and particle effects, mouse movement leaves a rainbow trail
  • Game — Tap floating bubbles to pop them with a running score counter
  • Character — A friendly creature follows the mouse, jumps and spins on key presses, and leaves rainbow paw prints
  • Chill — Low-stimulation mode with soft colors, gently drifting emoji (fruits, vegetables, animals), a warm cursor glow, and subtle expanding rings on click — perfect for winding down
• Multi-language support — Choose from Arabic, Chinese, English, Hebrew, Japanese, or Korean character sets
• Musical key sounds — Each key plays a pentatonic tone (always sounds pleasant)
• Customizable exit shortcut — Set any key combination (requires 2+ modifiers) to exit lock mode
• Optional password protection — Require a password to unlock (stored in macOS Keychain)
• Notarized and signed — Downloads are Apple-notarized so macOS won't block the app
• 100% free and open source — MIT licensed, no ads, no tracking

Download the latest release — grab Toddler Mode.dmg, open it, and drag to Applications.

1. Download and install Toddler Mode (see above)
2. Open the app and grant Accessibility permission when prompted
3. Pick a play mode (Free Play, Game, Character, or Chill)
4. Click "Lock Now" — full-screen animations take over
5. Hand it to your kid — they mash keys, move the mouse, everything stays safe
6. Press your exit shortcut (default: Cmd+Shift+Esc) to unlock

• macOS 13.0 (Ventura) or later
• Apple Silicon or Intel Mac

• Press your configured shortcut (default: Cmd+Shift+Esc)
• If password protection is on, enter your password
• Or restart the computer as a failsafe

Toddler Mode needs Accessibility permission to intercept keyboard and mouse events and manage system presentation (hide Dock, menu bar, disable app switching).

Grant it in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility. The app guides you through it on first launch.

git clone https://github.com/js1664/Toddler-Mode-for-Mac.git
cd Toddler-Mode-for-Mac/ToddlerLock
open ToddlerLock.xcodeproj

Set your Development Team in Signing & Capabilities, then build and run (Cmd+R). Requires Xcode 16+.

Built with Swift, AppKit, and SpriteKit:

• CGEventTap intercepts all keyboard and mouse events at the system level
• NSApplication.PresentationOptions hides the Dock, menu bar, and disables process switching
• AVAudioEngine synthesizes pentatonic tones in real time
• CGAssociateMouseAndMouseCursorPosition constrains the cursor to the lock screen

Will my toddler be able to exit? No. The exit shortcut requires pressing 2+ modifier keys simultaneously (e.g., Cmd+Shift+Esc), which toddlers can't do intentionally. You can also add a password for extra safety.

Does it work on external monitors? Yes — Toddler Mode covers all connected displays.

Does it work on MacBook Air / MacBook Pro / iMac / Mac Mini? Yes — any Mac running macOS 13 (Ventura) or later.

Is it safe? Will it damage my Mac? Completely safe. The app only intercepts input events and draws animations on screen. It doesn't modify system files, install drivers, or run in the background when not locked.

Can I use it on an iPad? Not currently — this is a macOS-only app. iPad doesn't allow the level of input interception needed.

Toddler Mode is purpose-built for macOS. If you're looking for similar tools:

• Baby Keyboard (iOS) — for iPhones and iPads
• Toddler Keys (Windows) — similar concept for Windows PCs

Toddler Mode is the only free, open-source, native option for Mac.

Contributions welcome! Open an issue or submit a pull request.

MIT

https://suss.dev/toddlermodemac/