Staying safe online: what children learn
This game gives short, realistic situations, such as a stranger asking for an address or a pop-up offering a prize, and asks what to do. The answers follow the SMART rules from Childnet, a UK online-safety charity. The most important message is repeated on purpose: if anything online makes you feel worried, upset or confused, tell a grown-up you trust. You will not be in trouble.
Suggested grade 1 practice, selected by skill and reading demand. US states and schools teach these topics in different grades; this is not a state-standards alignment claim.
CSTA 2026 PK–12 Standards teaching connection: Security and responsible participation. This game introduces a related computing concept. Extend it with creating, testing or discussing a real example. The suggested grade is editorial; no specific CSTA performance code, certification or full coverage is claimed. Read the framework.
How to play
Answer 10 questions before the clock runs out. Tap an answer, or press 1 to 4. Each game has 10 multiple-choice questions and a 150-second timer. A wrong answer shows the correct one before moving on. You earn up to three stars depending on your score.
Step by step
- Name the trusted adults. Help your child list the grown-ups they could tell: parents, carers, teachers, a grandparent. Make it concrete.
- Know what is private. Full name, address, school, phone number, passwords and photos in school uniform are private.
- Think before you click. Pop-ups, prizes and messages from people you do not know: stop and ask first.
- Be kind. Talk online as you would face to face. If someone is unkind, do not reply, and tell an adult.
- Practice saying it. Role-play: “I saw something that made me feel funny.” Children who have practiced are more likely to speak up.
Worked examples
Example 1: Someone you don’t know asks for your home address online. What should you do?
Working: Your address helps someone find you in real life, so it is personal information.
Answer: Don’t tell them, and tell a grown-up you trust.
Example 2: A message says “Click here to win a prize!” What should you do?
Working: Prizes from people you do not know are often tricks. Stop and check.
Answer: Ask a grown-up before you click.
Example 3: Someone online says “Don’t tell your parents about me.”
Working: Safe people do not ask children to keep secrets from their family.
Answer: Tell a grown-up you trust straight away.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Being afraid of getting into trouble for telling. Tell your child often that they will never be in trouble for telling you about something online.
- Thinking people online are always who they say. Explain that anyone can choose a picture and a name online.
- Thinking a first name and school are harmless. Together, these can help someone find a child. Keep them private.
Activities to try at home
- Agree family rules together: where devices are used, and what to do if something goes wrong.
- Set up parental controls and child-friendly search, and explain why.
- Ask about what your child does online as often as you ask about school.
- Print the game sheet and talk through each answer together.
Ideas for the classroom
- Read a Childnet SMART Crew story and discuss each rule.
- Sort cards into “safe to share” and “keep private”.
- Role-play telling a trusted adult in pairs.
- Play the quiz during Safer Internet Day and at the start of any unit that uses devices.
Free printable game and worksheet
The free printable starts with a game sheet, such as a color-by-answer picture, an answer maze or a secret-code joke, followed by a worksheet. Both use the same checked questions as the online game, and the answers are on the last page. Print it, or save it as a PDF from your browser’s print menu.
Open the free printable game and worksheet
Frequently asked questions
What are the SMART rules?
Childnet’s five rules for elementary children: Safe (keep personal information safe), Meet (do not meet people you only know online), Accepting (think before you open things), Reliable (check information) and Tell (tell a trusted adult).
Where can grown-ups get advice or report a concern?
Childnet publishes free guides for parents. In the US, report anyone online who is trying to exploit or harm a child to the NCMEC CyberTipline (report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678). If a child is in danger right now, call 911.
Who should my child tell about a worry?
A trusted adult: a parent, caregiver, teacher or school counselor. Tell your child often that they will never be in trouble for telling you about something online.