2021-12-14
Latvian Safer Internet Centre
helplines
media literacy/education
children and young people, parents and carers, teachers, educators and professionalsThe Latvian Safer Internet Centre, together with children from the Riga French Lycée, has released nine fairy tales about internet safety, in audio format, for 7-12-year-old children to promote safe, responsible and meaningful use of the internet.
The fairy tales tell stories about different situations and problems children might face online. They encourage children to think about the different risks and dangers on the internet and how to avoid them, while also offering tips about how to prevent such risks. The stories end on a positive note by offering solutions to the specific problem.
The fairy tales are supported by educational material which includes practical exercises and tasks to learn more about specific internet safety topics, while also learning basic rules and key principles to browse the internet safely. Children can do the tasks individually or in groups, at home or at school.
The authors of the fairy tales are Latvian pupils from the Riga French Lycée grade 4, and they created the fairy tales on the occasion of Safer Internet Day 2021. The students chose the topics by themselves, created the messages, and provided online safety tips to the readers. The fairy tales aim to actively involve children and allow them to explore the situations listed below:
- How the dwarf, Urkis, created a computer that later helped to save a kidnapped princess.
- How the dog, Reksis, helped the bear, Kepainis, to combat internet addiction.
- How a girl named Rezija learnt to create a secure password and taught it to her parents too.
- How the Rabbit family fought against a computer virus.
- How fox, Laima, threatened the children of the village by posting hateful comments on the internet.
- How the snail decided to become a YouTuber.
- How girls, Anna and Chelsea, desperately wanted to become popular on the internet.
- How a girl named Cindy became a troll and almost robbed the Kingdom of Blossom.
- How the bear, Pecis, wanted to find a girlfriend on online dating sites.
In November 2021, the Latvian Safer Internet Centre organised a festive meeting to share the fairy tales, inviting schools and libraries to join via an online event. The participants had the opportunity to meet the authors of fairytales, to listen to “The story of a YouTuber snail”, to perform the suggested tasks together, and to obtain awards by participating in contests and games.
You can find all the fairy tales, tasks and audio versions of the stories on the website of the Latvian Safer Internet Centre.
Find out more about the work of the Latvian Safer Internet Centre, including its awareness raising, helpline, hotline and youth participation services, or find similar information for Safer Internet Centres throughout Europe.
Discover more about the annual Safer Internet Day celebration, next taking place on Tuesday, 8 February 2022, at www.saferinternetday.org.
