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Playing IT Safe: three free online games that teach your preschooler how the internet works

Playing IT Safe, from the Australian Federal Police, the Alannah & Madeline Foundation and the eSafety Commissioner, gives parents of children before school age three short games to play together, a printable family technology plan and plain advice sheets. Plus ThinkUKnow's free parent talks.

A father sits on the kitchen floor with his four-year-old daughter, pointing at her crayon drawing of a house and a heart while she colours and smiles up at him

Your four-year-old already knows that the phone can call Nana. What they don't know yet is that a photo sent to Nana can go further than Nana.

Playing IT Safe teaches that, and the habit of coming to you when something on a screen feels wrong, through play. It was made by the Australian Federal Police, the Alannah & Madeline Foundation and the eSafety Commissioner for children before they start school. It is free, there is nothing to sign up for, and you play it on the couch together.

Open Playing IT Safe

Who it is for

Parents, carers and early learning educators of children before school age. The site has an educator half too, with a handbook and classroom activities, so your child's early learning centre may already use it. The parent half lets you carry the same ideas on at home.

The games are made to be played with your child, not handed over. The program's own advice is that watching and playing together is one of the best ways to keep young children safe online, because you see what they see and you can talk about it as it happens.

The three games

Family technology plan. You and your child make a short set of house rules about devices: where they get used, when, and what for. You print it and stick it on the fridge. The advice that comes with it:

Good questions to ask while you make it: How do you feel when you've been on a screen for too long? Where should we not use phones? When should Mum or Dad put their phone away?

Share that photo! You build a little story of one photo travelling from one device to another. It opens up the idea that phones and computers are joined in a network called the internet, that we send things only to people we know in real life, and that we ask before sharing a picture of someone. Ask: If you didn't like a photo of yourself, could you ask people not to share it?

Who can help? You pick a situation, online or off, and talk about how the child in the story might feel. Then the two of you choose which trusted adult is best placed to help. The point is one message, said many ways: if something on a phone, tablet or computer makes you worried, scared or uncomfortable, come and tell me, or another grown-up you trust.

What else is there

Three one-page advice sheets for parents, one for each game: teaching your child about the internet, being safe in a digital world, and talking about technology in your home. They're short and worth printing.

One easy idea from the sheets: say out loud what you're doing. "I'm sending this photo from my phone to Grandpa's phone, through the internet." Small sentences like that build the picture before your child needs it.

How to start this week

  1. Open the Playing IT Safe parents page on a laptop or tablet you can both see.
  2. Play Family technology plan first. Let your child choose one of the rules.
  3. Print it and put it on the fridge where they can point to it.
  4. Next day, play Who can help? Keep it light, five minutes is plenty.
  5. Practise for real: when a pop-up appears, call your child over and show them that you don't tap it.
  6. Put a reminder in your phone to redo the plan in six months.

For you: a free ThinkUKnow talk

ThinkUKnow is the Australian Federal Police's program on preventing online child sexual exploitation. Its parent, carer and educator presentations are free, run by volunteers from police and industry, and take about 60 minutes plus 30 for questions. The talk is for adults only. A school, playgroup, community group or parent association can ask for one, in person or online, at least a month ahead. ThinkUKnow also has a free parents and carers guide, a children's picture book eBook, Jack Changes the Game, and colouring activities to go with it.

If a child is in danger right now, call 000. To report online grooming or inappropriate contact with a child, use the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation's report form at accce.gov.au/report.

How it fits with the others

Playing IT Safe sits beside eSafety Early Years, which has a picture book, a song and a family tech agreement made with Play School. Use both: the games here, the book and song there. For safety at each age, see Raising Children Network.

Open Playing IT Safe

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