Latvia – "Wify's Game" on online safety and media literacy

As part of the social campaign "Superheroes on the internet", the Latvian Safer Internet Centre (SIC) (Drossinternets.lv) has developed and issued "Wify's Game", which is the first board game presented to Latvian schools that covers many aspects of using the internet safely and smartly. "Wify's Game" is issued in 3,000 copies and is available to Latvian schools for free.

Date 2019-01-04 Author Latvian Safer Internet Centre
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The task of "Wify's Game" is to raise the issues of online safety and media literacy in an attractive way, while strengthening cooperation, communication and arguing skills, as well as to teach pupils how to associate theoretical knowledge with their experience. Playing the game, children can acquire five important skills necessary to work on the internet:

  • to know what they can and what they cannot say to others;
  • to ask advice and assistance from adults, when necessary;
  • to think before they trust the information found on the internet;
  • to be polite;
  • to use the internet smartly.

"Wify's Game" is designed for primary school pupils or children in senior groups of kindergarten. The rules of the game can be tailored to different levels of knowledge, as well as to the time allowed for the game.

Wify Game Poster by Latvian SIC

"Playing this really interesting and attractive game, children forget about they shyness to express, they learn to defend their ideas, their fear to make a mistake goes away, they start playing with enthusiasm. They acquire valuable knowledge without thinking about it. In the process of playing, both critical (analytical) and creative thinking is used, which furthers interdisplinarity – one of the key requirements in modern education," emphasised Liene Valdmane, a co-author of the game and the educational work manager at the SIC.

Every school could receive up to five games, and every library, one game for free.

Wify Game event in Latvia

The game was also distributed at five regional events of the "Superheroes on the internet" campaign to teachers in Riga, Cesis, Daugavpils, Liepaja and Jelgava.

The development of the game was supported by the State Police, the Ministry of Environment Protection and Regional Development, and the Latvian Internet Association.

Find out more information about the work of the Latvian Safer Internet Centre (SIC) generally, including its awareness raising, hotline and youth participation services, or find similar information for Safer Internet Centres throughout Europe.

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