Ages 7-9

Smart & Safe Online

A gentle introduction to digital safety for young children. Your child will learn the basics of staying safe, kind, and smart on the internet — all in language they understand.

0 of 4 modules complete

About this course

This course is designed for children ages 7 to 9 who are just beginning to explore the internet on their own. Through four friendly, activity-filled modules, your child will learn what the internet is, how to protect personal information, how to be kind online, and how to balance screen time with real life. Each module includes simple explanations, hands-on activities to do with a grown-up, and key ideas to remember.

Modules

  • Lesson 1: The Internet Is Like a Big Library

    Imagine a library so big it has every book, every game, every video, and every song ever made. That is the internet. You can visit it from a computer, a tablet, or a phone. Just like a real library, there are rules that keep everyone safe and happy.

    Key Idea: The internet connects computers all around the world so people can share information, play games, and talk to each other.

    Lesson 2: How Do We Get Online?

    We get online using devices like tablets, phones, laptops, and desktop computers. These devices connect to the internet through Wi-Fi (like invisible radio waves in your house) or through cell phone signals when you are out and about.

    Activity: Internet Scavenger Hunt

    With a parent or guardian, find three things in your house that can connect to the internet. Write them down or draw them. Hint: think beyond just computers!

    Lesson 3: Websites, Apps, and Games

    Websites are like pages in a book. Apps are programs you download to do specific things — like play a game, watch videos, or send messages. Games can be on websites or in apps. All of them live on the internet.

    New Words:
    • Website — a place on the internet with pages of information
    • App — short for “application,” a program on your device
    • Browser — the tool you use to visit websites (like Chrome, Safari, or Edge)

  • Lesson 1: What Is Personal Information?

    Personal information is anything that tells someone who you are or where to find you. Your full name, your address, your school name, your birthday, your phone number, and photos of you are all personal information.

    Key Idea: Personal information is like a secret key to your house. You only share it with people you trust — like your family and your teacher.

    Lesson 2: The “Grown-Up Check” Rule

    Before you type anything about yourself online — your name, a photo, where you live — stop and ask a grown-up. This is called the Grown-Up Check. It takes five seconds and keeps you safe.

    Activity: Practice the Grown-Up Check

    Role-play with a parent or guardian. They pretend to be someone online asking for your name, your age, or where you go to school. You practice saying: “Let me check with my grown-up first.”

    Lesson 3: Usernames and Passwords

    A username is a made-up name you use online instead of your real name. A password is a secret word only you and your grown-ups know. Together they are like a lock on your digital diary.

    Password Rules for Kids:
    • Never use your real name as your password
    • Make it at least 8 characters long
    • Mix letters, numbers, and symbols
    • Never share your password except with your parent or guardian

  • Lesson 1: The Golden Rule Goes Online

    Treat others the way you want to be treated. This rule works at school, at home, and on the internet. If you would not say something to someone’s face, do not type it in a comment, a message, or a game chat.

    Key Idea: There is a real person with real feelings on the other side of every screen. Words can hurt, even when you cannot see the person’s face.

    Lesson 2: What Is Cyberbullying?

    Cyberbullying is when someone uses the internet or a device to be mean to another person over and over again. It can be mean messages, leaving someone out of a group on purpose, sharing embarrassing photos, or saying cruel things in a game chat.

    Activity: What Would You Do?

    You are playing an online game and someone keeps calling you names in the chat. What should you do? (1) Do not respond. (2) Take a screenshot or tell your grown-up. (3) Block or mute the person. (4) Report them to the game. (5) Talk to your grown-up about how it made you feel.

    Lesson 3: Being an Upstander

    A bystander sees something mean happening and does nothing. An upstander sees something mean and does something kind to help. If you see someone being bullied online, you can be an upstander by telling a grown-up, sending a kind message to the person being bullied, or refusing to join in.

  • Lesson 1: Why Balance Matters

    Screens are fun. Games, videos, and apps are designed to keep you watching and playing. But your body and brain need other things too: running around outside, reading a paper book, drawing, building with blocks, talking to family face-to-face, and getting a good night’s sleep.

    Key Idea: Screens are one part of a happy day — not the whole day. A balanced day includes movement, creativity, time with people you love, and rest.

    Lesson 2: Making a Screen-Time Plan

    Sit down with your grown-up and make a plan together. Decide when screens are allowed, for how long, and what kinds of activities come first (like homework, chores, and outdoor play).

    Activity: My Balanced Day Chart

    Draw a circle and divide it into slices like a pizza. Label each slice with something you do in a day: sleep, school, play outside, screen time, family time, meals, reading. Color each slice a different color. Is your screen-time slice the right size?

    Lesson 3: Screens Before Bed

    The blue light from screens can trick your brain into thinking it is still daytime, making it harder to fall asleep. Try to put screens away at least one hour before bedtime. Read a book, listen to music, or talk with your family instead.