NSPCC assistant director for the North East, Yorkshire and Humber, Debra Radford, talks about a new partnership with Lego to stop cyber bullying.
We all know that the internet can be an incredible resource, but for all the conveniences our increasingly online world brings, we know there are pitfalls children – and their parents or carers – need to be aware of.
With ever-growing connections come increased chances of encountering cyber bullying, online exploitation, grooming or worse.
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Our Childline counsellors speak to young people across the region and the rest of the country every day about their experiences with technology, social media and the internet.
As part of the NSPCC’s work to improve online safety for children, we have begun a partnership with toy giant Lego, and will soon be promoting it’s online safety resource named Build & Talk.
It’s a mix of high and low tech, and something all generations can appreciate and get involved in, basically a series of fun activities to help parents and carers talk with their children about online safety through the simple and creative joy of playing with Lego.
Some parents and carers can find it hard to discuss the dangers of being online with their children but having these conversations while enjoying a playful activity makes it easier.
The activities are essentially simple ones that can be read aloud to your child while building Lego, with suggested questions and conversation prompts designed to help discuss online safety with children and young people in an engaging way.
Topics covered include cyber bullying, screen time, false or misleading information, digital footprints, online security, privacy and safe sharing. While it works well with Lego, it’s actually not essential, and you can sit and draw with a pen and paper while chatting.
By following the story and reading it aloud to your child, you’re creating engagement, encouraging discussion, and the narrative offers advice on what you build as you go along.
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As well as being helpful for young people, each activity pack comes with questions for grown-ups to read before starting the exercise, which can help their knowledge and the confidence required to have conversations around online safety.
We all know how important play is to children, and when a child is engaged and interested, the lessons from Lego Build & Talk are more likely to register with them and be remembered.
This will help them as they get older and begin to navigate the online world and give them the skills and instincts they need to help spot dangers and keep themselves safe while spending time online.
Social media is a massive part of growing up for young people these days, so it is vital they know how to stay safe while on the various platforms that are out there.
Children can learn about themselves and gain confidence through communicating with likeminded peers online – but not everyone online is who they claim to be. With Build & Talk, children will be better placed to stay safer online.
Lego has been popular for decades, meaning it has a cross-generational appeal which makes it the perfect tool for learning with children, parents, grandparents, and carers. It is interactive and encourages creativity, and by combining it with these simple conversations, parents can increase awareness of the skills children need to stay safe online while having fun with their child.
Feedback from Lego Build & Talk workshops we’ve already held with parents and carers has been overwhelmingly positive, but the Lego partnership is just one way to help ensure children are safe online.
If your child is worried about anything they’ve experienced online, support is always available from our Childline counsellors on 0800 1111 or at www.childline.org.uk and parents can find out more about online safety at www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety
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