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Grades K–3 · Safe Start · Badge 1

Secrets and surprises

You can tell a surprise from a secret, and say which one to tell.

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Step 1 of 11

1Watch

The present in the cupboard

Film

The present in the cupboard

A kid helps Grandad hide a wrapped present in a cupboard, Mum walks in, and the kid opens his mouth to speak.

15 seconds

It stops there. Does he tell?

2The idea

A surprise has an end

A surprise is a nice thing that is waiting. A present. A party. A cake. It has an end. On the day, everybody finds out.

When it finishes, everybody is happy. That is how you know it was a surprise.

3The idea

A secret has no end

A secret is different. Somebody says never tell. Not on Saturday. Not ever. Especially not your own people.

A secret you must keep forever is not a surprise. It is for telling. Tonight, to your own grown-up.

4The idea

Ask two things

Does it have an end? Will everybody be happy when it ends? Grandad’s present ends on Saturday and Mum will laugh. That is a surprise.

Somebody’s never-tell has no end, and Mum would not be happy. No end, or not happy, means tell.

5Decide

Grandad says: do not tell Mum till Saturday. Surprise or secret?

Right. It has an end. Saturday. On Saturday Mum opens it and everybody laughs.

Look for the end. Saturday is the end. When there is an end and everyone will be happy, it is a surprise.

Pick one to carry on.

6Look

Two boxes

Still image

Two boxes

Left: a wrapped present with a bow and a Saturday label. Right: a plain box with a padlock and no label.

One opens soon. One never does. The one that never opens is the one you tell about.

7Again

Somebody says: this is our secret. Never tell your mum. What now?

Right. Never is not an end. Never means tell. Tonight, to your own grown-up.

There is no end to this one. A secret from your own people is for telling. Not next week. Tonight.

Pick one to carry on.

8Say it

The opening sentence

Say this in your normal voice

“Something happened and it made me feel funny.”

This is how you start. The grown-up does the rest.

9The idea

Nobody gets in trouble for telling

Somebody might say you will be in trouble if you tell. That is not true. Nobody gets in trouble for telling. Not you, not ever.

Telling is how the grown-ups find out. Then they can sort it. That is their job, not yours.

10Build it

Sort them

Interactive

Surprise, secret, or tell now

Eight short cards. Drag each one to Surprise, Secret, or Tell somebody now.

Surprises go in the happy pile. Secrets go to a grown-up.

11Do it

Before you leave this page

Say the sentence to a real grown-up tonight. Something happened and it made me feel funny. Then tell them it was practice.

Tick it when you have done it.

Lesson done.

A surprise has an end. A secret you must keep forever is for telling.

Next lesson: Being the kind of kid people trust

Badge 1 · You and Your People

1.1Keeping you safe is a grown-up's job 1.2Your four people 1.3Secrets and surprises 1.4Being the kind of kid people trust ★Badge Challenge

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