School Age Children Discuss your rules about in app purchases with your child. Choose a math related game that enhances your child’s schoolwork Your child comes to you when he sees a friend being mean to someone on a group text. They played a scary game at a friend’s house and are having trouble falling asleep. Set up parental control to limit amount of daily screen time Your child tells you about a new educational game they discovered at school. You overheard them sharing their password with a friend. Make a rule that your child can only talk with people they know in online chats. Your child hasn’t taken a break in awhile from gaming and there is homework to do. Talk to your child about keeping your personal information private Teach them about online phishing scams SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN (5-9 YEARS) READY, SET, GAME LEVEL 1 Warp to level 2 S TA R T Ready, Set, Game Parent Child Start level Level up (+1) Beat boss (+2) Pause Reset (-1) LEGEND P C C P Online gaming is a journey. There are exciting adventures to be had, but there may also be bumps along the way. Ready to play? As a parent or caregiver of a child 5-9 years old, you know that this age is the foundational stage for establishing guidelines around technology, including gaming. We’ve created this resource so that you can have a creative way to implement parental controls and set your family guidelines. Focus on Structure and Monitoring for School Age Children SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN (5-9 YEARS) LEVEL 1 STAGE 01 Create individual child accounts , which are vital to staying aware of your child’s gaming activities. STAGE 02 Use parental controls to restrict games by age ratings, set screen time limits, block or limit online communication, and control spending on in-game purchases. STAGE 03 Actively manage and monitor who your child can communicate with, and limit those conversations to people they know in real life. STAGE 04 Discuss and establish boundaries around which games are allowed, when gaming can take place, and ways to balance screen time. Side-by-side with your child, go through the level by following the map and discussing each stage: Ready, Set, Game They told you how they blocked someone because they didn’t like how they were talking to people. Set parental controls about spending money on games Discuss guidelines on what content is parental approved and what they need to ask to play. Your tween regularly finishes homework before gaming. Develop a contract together about how much time they can play games each week. They have some missing assignments at school Take a family walk together after dinner without your devices Your tween is really upset about mean comments someone made about them online that many of their classmates saw. Schedule a family gaming night . Order pizza and have fun! TWEENS (10-14 YEARS) Tweens READY, SET, GAME Warp to level 3 LEVEL 2 Ready, Set, Game Parent Child Start level Level up (+1) Beat boss (+2) Pause Reset (-1) LEGEND P C C P Focus on Critical Thinking and Communication for Tweens LEVEL 2 TWEENS (10-14 YEARS) Online gaming is a journey. There are exciting adventures to be had, but there may also be bumps along the way. Ready to play? As a parent or caregiver of a tween 10-14 years old, you know that this age is crucial for developing critical thinking skills and having ongoing conversations around online activities. At this age, gaming often transitions from being a solitary activity to a primary way of socializing and connecting with peers. We’ve created this resource so that you can have an easy way to set your family guidelines around online socializing with peers. STAGE 01 Use parental controls and shift your approach from rules based to dialogue based . Establish yourself as a trusted adult by demonstrating respect for their interests in gaming. STAGE 02 Talk openly with your tween about the games they are playing, with whom they are playing and the importance of staying on the platform of the game for any chat or communications. STAGE 03 Adjust household guidelines as your child shows more maturity and responsibility STAGE 04 Teach them how to mute, block, or report players and the importance of not sharing personal information. Side-by-side with your tween, follow the level’s map, listen and discuss each stage according to your family values and expectations: Ready, Set, Game Talk about the rules/laws around sharing inappropriate pictures online. Ask your teen about how he decides who to play games with Reduce parental controls and allow for more independence. Discuss your teen’s favorite games with them. Encourage your teen to explore privacy settings on new games and platforms they explore. Your teen is a victim of verbal threat on a gaming platform they frequent. Your teen fell for a phishing scam and they lost some money. Your teen is engaging in banter online that they think is joking but others are offended Your teen stands up for someone being bullied in a gaming community. Your teen comes to you about being asked to engage in a trendy challenge that they aren’t completely comfortable with. F I N I S H O L D E R TEENS (15-17 YEARS) Check in about how they are doing and remind them you are there if they need you. Teens READY, SET, GAME LEVEL 3 Ready, Set, Game Parent Child Start level Level up (+1) Beat boss (+2) Pause Reset (-1) LEGEND P C C P Focus on Guidance, Civility, and Digital Wellbeing for Older Teens LEVEL 3 Online gaming is a journey. There are exciting adventures to be had, but there may also be bumps along the way. Ready to play? As a parent or caregiver of an older teen, your goal is to empower them to thrive online by building upon the safety, civility, and wellbeing foundations you established. We’ve created this resource for you to share with your teen and discuss how they can navigate the online world and gaming responsibly and safely. STAGE 01 Maintain trust , maintain an open non-judgmental dialogue, and act as a guide in your child’s digital life. STAGE 02 Encourage positive connections and creativity by guiding your teen towards the beneficial social aspects of the online world. STAGE 03 Support their curiosity by sharing resources, apps, and games that align with their interests. STAGE 04 Encourage your teen in their independent navigation of the digital world–continue to observe their critical thinking skills about the content they consume and the people they meet. Take a journey with them along the level and discuss each topic! OLDER TEENS (15-17 YEARS) Ready, Set, Game Key Definitions Individuals today need a broad set of skills to navigate the technology saturated world. Here are some key definitions to help you guide your children. Online safety is the ability to identify and avoid potentially harmful experiences online. (SOURCE: Internet Society) Digital wellness is a positive state of mental, physical, and social-emotional health pursued through intentional, authentic, and balanced engagement with technology and interactive media. (SOURCE: Digital Wellness Lab) Media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create and act using all forms of media. (SOURCE: National Association for Media Literacy Education) Gaming literacy is the ability to understand game rules, icons, symbols, commands and how to communicate (text, orally, pictures, gestures) (SOURCE: Notre Dame Center for Literacy Education) The Positives of Gaming Gaming can offer a range of positive experiences for children when approached mindfully and in moderation. Gaming can foster connection and socializing, allowing kids to collaborate with friends and peers, often working together to achieve shared goals. These interactive environments help develop social skills, reduce feelings of loneliness, and can even ease social anxiety by providing low-pressure ways to engage with others. Many games encourage problem-solving and creativity. Additionally, gaming can improve motor functioning and hand-eye coordination. Certain games also promote prosocial behaviors like helping, sharing, and cooperating. With a wide variety of game types available, children can explore different interests and strengths, building both confidence and essential life skills in an engaging, meaningful way. Ready, Set, Game Additional Information for Parents on Online Safety, Wellbeing, and Media Literacy in Gaming BONUS LEVEL Talk With Them Whether your child is 6 or 16, the best way to create a healthy relationship with gaming is to talk with them. Be clear about what parental controls you use and why. Discuss the games they can play and any expectations you have about time limits and behavior. Talk to them about the rules and guidelines so that they understand why you have them in place and what the consequences are if they don’t stick to them. Find out more about what their interests are and why they choose the games they play. Asking questions about what they like about gaming is a great way to stay engaged and learn about your child and how they like to spend their time. Check In With Them It’s natural to be concerned about your child’s well- being and the impact media and technology are having on them. Oftentimes parents wonder, “how much is too much gaming?” or “how do I know if gaming is having a negative impact on my child?” A good first step is to do an inventory of their week. What do you notice? Are they getting enough sleep? Are they eating healthy foods and getting physical activity? Are they socializing with friends? What do you notice about their mood? Make sure their gaming is not interfering with a balanced schedule and their ability to get their responsibilities done and stay healthy. Also take notice of when and why your child likes to game. Is it to socialize? Release stress? Avoid homework? Have fun? Paying attention to when they game is a good way to understand their moods and coping mechanisms. Build Safety Skills It’s vital that your child knows how to stay safe when gaming. When they are young, setting up parental controls, limiting access to inappropriate content, and ensuring they are only interacting with people they know is key. Teach them the habit of exploring privacy and safety features on gaming platforms before they dive in. Make sure they keep personal information to themselves, and be clear about what they should do if they come across anyone online that makes them uncomfortable. Roblox’s safety guide for teens is a great resource for your child as they get older. Build Media Literacy Skills In today’s digital world, media literacy is an essential skill for both children and adults. When it comes to gaming, parents can support their children by encouraging curiosity and critical thinking. Play and engage with them directly with the games they love. Consider organizing a family game night to make it a shared experience. It’s important to teach kids how to recognize harms like phishing scams and what to think about before making in-app purchases. If your child shows a strong interest in gaming, support that passion by exploring opportunities like video game design courses. As they get older, help kids ask questions about the games they play including what creative choices were made around music, characters, and storylines, and whether they notice any biases or stereotypes. The skills they develop could help them in the future. Additional Sources: https://digitalwellnesslab.org/family-guides/family-guide-to-video-gaming/ https://mediasmarts.ca/sites/default/files/guides/video-games-guide.pdf BONUS LEVEL Creating a Healthy Relationship With Gaming in the Home Ready, Set, Game