How to Teach Kids About Online Privacy Through Fun Activities

How to Teach Kids About Online Privacy Through Fun Activities

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Disclosure - This is a collaborative post

In today’s digital age, making online content a part of your everyday life is as important as locking your front door before going outside. It’s no secret that children of all ages are using the internet for various online activities. Whether it’s using technology to help with their homework, or spending time on social media sites to connect with friends, being online has become an important part of their life. However, it’s equally important to adopt online safety measures and set some family rules in place so that your child can become internet awesome. If you’re a parent looking for ways to teach your kids about online privacy, here are five ways you can make cyber safety fun for your kids.

5 Ways To Teach Kids About Online Privacy And Make Them Internet Awesome

Teach The Importance Of Password Through Cryptograms

Strong passwords are the backbone of a safe online experience. If you want to introduce your child to the concept of password management and why they need to create passwords that are complex, long, and changed regularly, use cryptograms. As your child deciphers complex letters and numbers, you can start talking about how their passwords are similar to the game of cryptogram. Think of this experience as a lesson plan where your kids learn the importance of passwords from you, apply their knowledge to create passwords for themselves and safeguards these passwords with the help of a reliable password manager.

Make Digital Footprints Fun With Storytelling

You can create a fascinating story to help your child understand the concept of digital footprints and why being vigilant while sharing any piece of information on social media is important. Use the story to teach them the difference between personal information, such as details about family and shareable information like fun pictures of their pet on social media platforms, as well as the importance of staying away from inappropriate content. You can also use the story to introduce them to serious topics like online bullying, personal privacy, and develop their digital literacy skills to build healthy expectations around technology use.

Limit Screen Time By Playing Outdoors

An important aspect of teaching children about internet safety is to keep their online interactions short and sweet. In order to build a healthy online behaviour, it’s essential to have controlled and healthy screen time. Encourage your kids to play outdoors as much as possible. Instead of spending time indoors or using their screen time while eating food, instil good habits of staying in the present moment without relying on technology to keep them entertained. It’s crucial that you lead by example here. Try to play with them outdoors at least once a day and avoid using your phone while eating or doom scrolling. After all, the best way to teach our kids about online privacy is by showing them a healthy relationship example between you and the internet. This will also help them develop self discipline  and self-control when it comes to falling in the trap of digital dependence.

Ensure Malware Protection By Using The Doctor Set

Malwares are a real threat to our kids' online privacy, that’s why it’s important for them to be aware of ways to protect themselves from malwares online through the use of strong malware protection softwares. Use their favourite doctor set to run parallels between real life viruses that make us sick and computer viruses that hamper our technological equipment. For instance, you can say that just like medicines and vaccines protect our body from viral infections, malware protection softwares protects our technological gadgets from online viruses that might make them sick.

Use Role Play To Make Privacy Fun

Last but not least, using role play and creating fun situations that make your little ones think can be one of the best ways to introduce them to topics like privacy settings, online risks, harmful content, age-inappropriate content, online games, online predators, importance of maintaining balance between real life and digital life, and online communication. Since all of these form important aspects of internet safety, using role play much like in classroom activities can make the process of learning and understanding fruitful.

Online privacy is a never-ending concern for parents of teens and pre-teens alike. That’s why teaching kids about online privacy is important for their overall well-being. Since online privacy is one of the important 21st century skills to learn, making it fun for your kids through fun activities can make the process of learning more impactful and interesting.

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Michelle

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Exploring Internet Safety With Your Child - A Guide For Parents

Exploring Internet Safety With Your Child - A Guide For Parents

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Disclosure - This is a collaborative post. 

The internet is a vast and fascinating place, filled with endless opportunities for learning, creativity, and connection. Much like the real world, it offers both exciting possibilities and potential dangers. As parents, it’s essential to teach our children how to explore the internet safely and stay safe online especially as they grow and start to navigate this digital space more independently.

As a family with an 11-year-old son, we understand the challenges of balancing internet freedom and safety. Whether your child is just starting to use the internet or is already familiar with social media and online gaming, setting boundaries and teaching safe practices is key to ensuring they have a positive experience online.

Whenever your child uses the Internet, it should be done in an open space where you can assist them and monitor what they are doing. Some families choose to use a secure VPN so that your IP address is hidden and therefore you cannot be tracked or traced. 

In this post, we’ll cover practical tips for exploring internet safety with your child and how to foster an open, trusting environment that encourages safe internet use.

Why Internet Safety Matters

The internet is like a vast city, teeming with both trustworthy sources and those with ill intentions. From online scams to inappropriate content, children can unknowingly stumble into risky situations. As parents, we need to provide guidance to help them avoid these hazards.

At home, we've always made internet safety a priority for our son. It’s an ongoing conversation, and one that evolves as he gets older and more curious about the online world. We want him to enjoy the benefits of the internet while understanding its risks.

Set Clear Guidelines from the Start

It’s important to establish rules for internet use as soon as your child starts using it. Make sure they know that their online activities should take place in an open, shared space where you can monitor them. For example, our son uses his tablet in the living room where we can easily check in on what he’s doing.

One of the first steps we took was setting up parental controls on devices. Many systems, like smartphones and tablets, have built-in tools that allow you to limit screen time, restrict certain websites, and control which apps can be downloaded. Using these controls helps create a safer online environment for your child.

Another tip is to consider using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to enhance security. A VPN hides your IP address, making it more difficult for others to track your online activity. This extra layer of protection can give both you and your child peace of mind while browsing.

Educate Your Child About Internet Dangers

While setting up safeguards is important, educating your child about the potential dangers they might encounter is crucial. Our son, for example, is at the age where he's becoming more independent online, which is why we’ve made sure to talk to him about the risks.

Start by explaining what the internet is in a simple way that your child can understand. We told our son that the internet is like an enormous library or playground where anyone can share information or play games. However, not everything or everyone in this space can be trusted. This analogy helped him grasp the idea that just because something is online doesn’t make it true or safe.

Encourage your child to ask questions and to come to you if they encounter something they’re unsure about. By fostering an open dialogue, you create an environment where your child feels comfortable discussing their online experiences with you.

Teach Them to Fact-Check Information

One of the greatest challenges of the digital age is separating fact from fiction. As children grow older, they’ll inevitably come across information that’s misleading or outright false. Whether it’s viral news, a social media post, or a YouTube video, teaching your child to fact-check is an invaluable skill.

We’ve taught our son to question the things he reads online. For example, we showed him how to check reputable news sites, like BBC or major newspapers, to verify stories that might seem exaggerated. It’s also important to explain the difference between opinion and fact, especially when it comes to online forums and social media posts.

Protecting Your Child on Social Media

For many children and teens, social media is a huge part of their daily lives. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat are places where they can connect with friends, share photos, and express themselves. However, social media also comes with risks, including privacy concerns, cyberbullying, and inappropriate content.

Before allowing your child to sign up for social media accounts, set up some basic rules:

Account Privacy 

Ensure their profiles are set to private so that only friends can see their posts.

Personal Information

Teach them not to share personal details, such as their full name, home address, school, or location.

Strangers

Make sure they know not to accept friend requests or messages from people they don’t know in real life.

We have an open-door policy when it comes to our son’s online activities. He knows he can talk to us about anything he sees or hears online without fear of getting into trouble. By maintaining this transparency, we can help him navigate social media more safely.

Use Antivirus Software and Regular Updates

As children become more tech-savvy, they may want to explore new games, apps, and websites. This curiosity can sometimes lead to downloading unsafe software or encountering malware. Make sure you have an up-to-date antivirus program installed on all devices to protect against harmful downloads.

For example, free antivirus programs can be an effective starting point, but consider investing in more comprehensive security software that offers features like real-time protection and parental controls.

We regularly check our son’s device to ensure all apps and software are safe and up to date. Encouraging good habits, like avoiding suspicious links or pop-ups, helps build a strong foundation for safe internet use.

Create an Open Dialogue

Ultimately, the most effective way to protect your child online is to maintain open communication. By regularly discussing internet safety, you can help them feel comfortable coming to you with any concerns or questions. It’s important to create a non-judgmental space where your child knows they won’t be punished for making mistakes online.

In our home, we talk to our son about the importance of being respectful and kind to others online, just as he would be in real life. We remind him that the internet is permanent—once something is posted, it’s difficult to take back.

Exploring the internet with your child is an ongoing process. By setting clear guidelines, educating them about potential dangers, and maintaining an open dialogue, you can help your child navigate the online world safely and responsibly.

For our family, teaching our son about internet safety has been an evolving journey. With each new stage, we adapt our approach to meet his needs, ensuring he can enjoy the benefits of the internet while staying safe. By implementing these strategies, you too can empower your child to explore the internet with confidence.

- If you enjoyed this post leave us a comment.

-  Like us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and follow us on our adventures.

- If you have visited any of the attractions mentioned in this post share photos with us on our socials. 

- If this post has helped you in anyway you can Buy Us A Virtual Coffee to say thanks.

- If you would like to work with us please visit on Work With Us page for more details

Michelle

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Are Your Children Staying Safe Online?

Are Your Children Staying Safe Online?

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Everyone has heard of Fortnite, the online multiplayer shooter phenomenon that even allows players to play across different consoles in the same game. Maybe your child is playing Fortnite right now, do you know who they are playing with, what they are hearing or being told, the ages of the people they are playing with?  Probably not - in fact I would say definitely not. After all the Battle Royale game is based on 100 people online together on one map, playing in teams or alone - and these 100 people could be from anywhere in the world.

Fortnite is very popular here. Both big and little J love the game, and I also play from time to time. We have spent plenty of money on the games virtual currency V-Bucks, which allows the purchase of visual upgrades to your characters skin, glider, pickaxe and of course allows you to buy the famous dances which are fast taking over the world. So although we are fully aware of the online risk, we are prepared to manage that risk, because we understand it, and know which options and settings are safest for little ones.

However, this morning we found that Little J was in a game, on a team with two other small children and one Eighteen year old man who seemed quite happy chatting away to three five or six year olds. I am not saying there was anything wrong with that as it stands, however the risk is always there. We dont know who he is, where he is from or why he wants to chat to young children, but we decided to end the game there and move to another setting.  What would you have done?

So below is a guide to the 'safest' settings on Fortnite for your children, and whilst there will still always be online risk, you can help to eliminate that risk by using the guide.

Options Within Battle Royale

Battle Royale has a constantly changing set of modes, with different game objectives and ways to play, however they all share some fundamental underlying online options that are customisable within the mode.

Solo Mode 

This is as it sounds, you play alone within the game and are playing against 99 other players.  Here, you can choose whether your gamertag is displayed or not, and you can choose to be in a 'party' with other gamers or not. The 'party' connects gamers using mic's connected to a headset or the controller so that they can talk about the game.

Here, the safest online options are to hide your gamertag and not connect to any party. This will increase the chance of remaining anonymous within the game.

Other Game Modes 

Here you can see some of the other available game modes at the time of writing. Food Fight and Disco Domination are new game modes, with the same idea of having a number of players online together. Within these modes players can join a squad of other players to make up a team, usually either teams of four or fifty.

The important thing to notice about the options within both modes is just above the accept box when you start the game. There are options that say either Fill, or Don't Fill.

The Fill option will put you in a team and connect you directly to those players in the team. So whether you have a mic connected or not, you can hear what the other players are saying though the TV or your headphones.  In addition if you are mic connected then they can hear and talk to you.

The Safest option here is to make sure that Don't Fill is selected - this will reduce the chance of being connected to other gamers and should mean you can remain anonymous online.

We have always been careful to monitor who both Little J and Big J are connected to when playing online, whether they are playing Fortnite or any other game. Online safety is becoming more and more topical by the day as more people have access to devices, and more people are choosing to spend time online rather than go out.

Do your little ones play Fortnite? If you have any other online safety tips, please let us know.

John

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