The Cyberkidz website is designed to help parents and teachers educate children about safety on the Internet. There are seven ‘Safety Points’ illustrated through the characters ‘Webstar’, ‘Whizkers’ and ‘Danger Claws’.
It is important that parents provide a supportive environment for the online explorations of their children and that they understand both positive and negative aspects of the Internet.
It is recommended that parents place computer(s) in an open area where the screen can be monitored while their children are online.
Using the Internet can be an important bonding time for families and we recommend that parents spend regular times exploring the Net with their children. This time may be for purposes of entertainment or school homework. This will help children to respect the Internet as a valuable resource for learning as well as for fun.
How to use the Cyberkidz website to teach children about safety online
The ‘Teachers’ section of the website gives detailed suggestions of how to use this website to teach children about safety on the Internet. We recommend that parents read through the seven safety points with their child and help them to read through the ‘Quiz’.
The ‘Invent-a-Land’ activity is designed for printing from the computer and the picture is then completed offline. Whereas, the ‘Fun Puzzle’ is designed for use on the computer.
The ‘Safe Links’ section of the website provides a list of safe websites compiled by the team at Netguide Magazine. These websites have been recommended as safe for children to use.
Where to go for advice
Information about where to go if you or your child finds illegal material on the Net is set out on the ‘Contact Us’ page. You also have the opportunity to send comments or questions to ECPAT NZ Inc, the organisation who set up the website.
