Our Education Team’s work in schools means that we know the summer holidays are an exciting time for primary learners. As the summer holidays approach many of them will be looking forward to doing some of their favourite activities, including going online.
This blog will help teachers equip children with the skills they need to stay safe whilst exploring the online world by considering different online activities young people may be getting up to over the break.
Group Chats
It is possible that your class may keep in touch with each other over the holidays through a group chat. Before the break, remind your learners the importance of being consistently kind and respectful to others.
To reinforce this message, why not try this activity which is also a lovely end of year reflection? Each child could leave a sheet of paper on their table with their name on, and the children go around and write something kind about each person in the class. You could conclude this activity by explaining how kindness should be shown online as well as offline and remind children how to use the block and report buttons if someone is unkind online.
For KS2 learners, the activity ‘Sehrish and her many group chats’ on the Childnet website is a great way to provide guidance and advice when using group chats.
Online Gaming
Online games are an amazing way to stay entertained during the long break, however it is important that young people are aware of any potential risks of this activity.
On the Childnet website, there are resource packs available for different age groups around the theme of online gaming. Make sure children are aware of how to decide whether a game is suitable for them to play, for example using PEGI age ratings or content warnings. It is also common for young people to chat to online friends when they are gaming, as it can be a great way to work as a team and complete levels. However, be sure to remind learners that if an online friend is pressuring them for personal information, photos, videos or livestreams, or to meet up they need to tell an adult immediately and report to CEOP (Child Exploitation Online Protection Command) through thinkuknow.co.uk.
Sharing Online
Sharing is a great way for young people to keep up to date with their friends and show the exciting activities they get up to. It is important to remind children how to share responsibly, by not displaying personal information on a public profile.
Ask the children for examples of personal information, to check they understand what this is and why they should keep it private online. A discussion around getting consent before posting any photos of other people online would also be a beneficial reminder before the holidays begin. This video from Childnet can be used by families at home to remind learners of the key skills they need to keep safe this summer.
Digital Wellbeing
Over the summer holidays, going online is a great way for young people to stay entertained and keep in touch with their friends. However, it is important they know how to balance their time online and offline.
Talk to your learners about some of the warning signs they may experience when they have been looking at a screen for too long, such as sore eyes, headaches, tiredness or hunger. It could be useful to have a class discussion where the children can share their ideas for offline activities. For example, reading, baking and sports are all fun activities that can be done away from a screen.
For children in EYFS, Year 1 and Year 2, Childnet have a short story about Smartie the Penguin which tackles the theme of digital wellbeing. Smartie gets a headache after being online for a long time and asks his parents for help. This story could be used to encourage your class to take the same approach if this were to happen to them.
Finding help
When talking about online safety, a key message for children is the importance of asking for help from a trusted adult if they are worried or upset about anything online. Make sure your class are aware of who their trusted adults are, especially as when thinking about the online world younger children may choose their brother and sister and it is important to address this misconception.
During the summer holidays, especially for learners with challenging home circumstances, children may be unclear on who they can go to for help in the absence of a teacher. Remind them of useful helplines, like Childline, who they can contact if they need to.
