RCKid is an open-source handheld console that enables children to build and share games directly on the device, without requiring a computer. This extended abstract focuses on the programming language and editor ladder that allow child’s creations to grow with them on the device: from pre-literate asset editing at age five to teenagers writing code, all within the same evolving game. Because the device has a small non-touch screen and limited input capabilities (a D-pad and a few action buttons), conventional drag-and-drop block composition and text editing are not viable. We treat these constraints not as limitations to be engineered around, but as the primary forces that shape the language itself: the editors come first, and the programming language is designed so that every construct can be created and manipulated through them. The result is a five-tier progression - from asset editing to iconic, visual, token-based, and textual forms-built on a single runtime and language. We outline the hole-based, prefix-oriented editing model that makes this ladder possible and highlight several open design questions in the language-editor design space.