Body & wellness activity
Online Safety: Passwords, Privacy, and Pause Before You Post
Devices are shared tools; always ask first.
Materials and setup
- optional: password manager account
- optional: printed family tech contract template
Parent note
The most protective factor in child online safety is an open parent-child conversation: kids who know they can report without losing the device report earlier. Using the device as punishment for reporting creates the exact behavior we don't want. Common Sense Media has age-by-age tech-contract templates that are worth the 20 min to customize.
How this changes by age
Pre-K (ages 3–4)
Devices are shared tools; always ask first.
Steps
- Devices (tablets, phones, TVs) are GROWN-UP tools we sometimes share with kids.
- ALWAYS ask before tapping, watching, or playing.
- If something on the screen feels weird, scary, or makes you uncomfortable — close it or flip the tablet face-down and tell a grown-up.
- Parent: set up device with kid account + content filters (Screen Time / Family Link). No browser. Curated apps only.
Learning objectives
- Ask before using a device
- Report uncomfortable content
Kindergarten (ages 5–6)
Introduces personal-information-is-private + the 'tell a grown-up' override.
Steps
- Private info: full name, address, school name, phone, what you look like, passwords. NEVER share online, not even with people you 'know.'
- Password rule: only your parent knows your passwords. Even best friends don't.
- If ANYONE online — stranger, friend, family — makes you feel weird, scared, or says 'keep this secret from your parents' — tell a grown-up RIGHT AWAY. You won't be in trouble.
- Screens off at dinner, in bed, in the bathroom, in the car. Screens live in common spaces.
- Practice: I'll say something; you say 'private' or 'ok to share.' (Favorite color / your address / your school / your first name + last initial / your parent's phone)
Learning objectives
- Classify private vs. shareable info
- Use tell-a-grown-up override
Early elementary (ages 6–8)
Adds strong passwords, two-factor auth, and the 'forever rule' — nothing online truly disappears.
Steps
- Strong password = 12+ chars, mix of letters / numbers / symbols, NOT a real word, NOT your birthday. Pass-PHRASES work: 'Purple-Tiger-Eats-47-Pancakes' is strong AND memorable.
- Every account = different password. Use a family password manager (1Password / Bitwarden).
- Two-factor authentication (2FA): second code sent to a phone. Turn it on everywhere it's offered. This is the #1 way to stop account hacking.
- Forever rule: anything you post, send, or type can be saved by someone else. Screenshots exist. 'Disappearing' messages don't actually disappear. Assume your grandma, teacher, and future-boss can see it.
- Privacy settings walk-through: together, check any kid accounts (games, educational apps, family streaming). Accounts private by default, no DMs from strangers.
Learning objectives
- Build strong passphrase
- Turn on 2FA
- Apply forever rule
Upper elementary (ages 8–10)
Adds cyberbullying, phishing, AI deepfakes, and the family tech contract.
Steps
- Cyberbullying: save screenshots, don't respond, block, tell a parent. Report to the platform. If from a classmate, loop in the school.
- Phishing: 'click this link to claim your prize' / 'your account is locked, log in here' / 'urgent, act now.' Rule: NEVER click links in emails or DMs. Type the address directly in the browser.
- Deepfakes + AI: photos, videos, and voices can be faked. A call claiming to be a relative in trouble asking for money? Hang up, call them directly. An image of a classmate you weren't sure was real? Don't share — when in doubt, don't.
- Stranger contact in games / Discord / apps: assume adults who want to be friends with kids online are tricky until proven otherwise (see bw-103 grooming patterns).
- Family tech contract: write it together. What apps / games / time limits / content types are OK. What happens if rules are broken. What the PARENT promises (not using surveillance as a weapon; open conversation; no phone-as-punishment when kid reports something scary). Sign both.
Learning objectives
- Handle cyberbullying incident
- Spot phishing + deepfake scams
- Draft + sign family tech contract
Safety and evidence note
Read the full activity before beginning. An adult should supervise tools, heat, food, outdoor work, movement, and experiments as appropriate. Completion records that the activity was done; the child’s explanation, work sample, photo, or demonstration is stronger evidence of learning than a completion check alone.
Related body & wellness activities
911 Hero: Calling for Help
Kids learn what 911 is, when to call, and how to say their name + address clearly.
Bike, Scooter, and Helmet Safety
Helmet on every ride + where kids can ride (sidewalk / driveway, never street).
Blood Highway
Your blood is always on a journey! Use red and blue yarn to show where blood goes and how it comes back.
Body Systems Integration
Build a life-size body poster with YOU inside it! Stick stickers and drawings on to show your bones, heart, lungs, and tummy.