- Computers and coding
- Classes 3-5
- 4 min read
Staying safe online
Learn simple rules for staying safe online: keep private things private, make strong passwords and tell a trusted adult.
Let us begin
The big idea
The internet is full of useful and fun things, but it is also a place where we must be careful, just like on a busy road. A few simple rules keep us safe. You can learn them without going online at all.
Some things are private. Your full name, home address, phone number, school name and passwords should stay private. Never share them with someone you only know online, and always ask a parent or trusted adult first.
A strong password is long and hard to guess. A few random words with a number, such as blue-mango-train-27, is better than your name or birthday. Never tell your password to friends. Only share it with your parents.
A stranger online is still a stranger, even if they seem friendly or say they are a child. Do not agree to meet anyone you met online. Do not click on pop-ups or links that say you won a prize.
If something online makes you feel scared, sad or confused, close it and tell a trusted adult. You will not be in trouble. Also be kind online. Write only the things you would say to someone face to face.
Worked examples
See how it works
A strong password
Weak: Rahul2015, because it uses a name and a year that others can guess. Better: pick three random words and a number, like green-tiger-chai-48. Do not use this exact one, which is only an example.
A message from a stranger
Someone you do not know writes: Hi! Which school do you go to? Do not answer. Your school is private. Show the message to a parent or teacher.
The prize pop-up
A box says You won a free phone! Click here. Real prizes do not appear like this. Do not click. Close it, or ask an adult to close it, and tell them what you saw.
Try it at home
Share or keep private?
You will need
- 8 small slips of paper
- pencil
- two sheets of paper
What to do
- Write one thing on each slip: your favourite colour, your home address, your password, your pet's name, your school name, your phone number, your favourite game, your full name.
- Title one sheet Private and the other Okay to say.
- Sort each slip onto the right sheet. Think about who could use that information.
- Talk with an adult about why you put each slip where you did.
Ask a grown-up: This is a talking and sorting game. No computer or internet is needed. An adult can add other examples from their own daily life.
Practice sheet
Check what you learned
Practice sheet: Staying safe online (Classes 3-5, Computers and coding)
- Name three things that should stay private online.
- Who can you share your password with?
- Which is a better password: sneha or purple-lamp-river-93? Why?
- A stranger online asks for your home address. What do you do?
- A pop-up says you won a prize. Should you click it?
- A person online says they are 10 years old and want to meet you. What should you do?
- Something online makes you feel scared. What is the first thing to do?
- Why should you be kind when you write online?
- You see a game that asks you to download something. What should you do first?
- Make up your own password rule that a friend could follow.
Answer key
Answers: Staying safe online
- Any three of: full name, home address, phone number, school name, passwords.
- Only your parents or a trusted adult.
- purple-lamp-river-93, because it is long and hard to guess. A single name is easy to guess.
- Do not give it. Do not answer, and tell a parent or trusted adult.
- No. Do not click it. Close it or ask an adult to close it.
- Do not reply and do not agree to meet. Tell a parent or trusted adult. A person online can say anything about who they are.
- Close it and tell a trusted adult.
- Because real people read your words and can be hurt. Write only what you would say face to face.
- Ask a parent or trusted adult before downloading anything.
- Sample: Use three random words and a number, and never use your name or birthday.