PLAYING IT SAFE

Building digital literacy understanding and skills is all in a day’s play for young children.  

Playing IT Safe is an early childhood focused initiative aimed at helping early years educators and parents teach young children about digital technology and online safety through play-based approaches. Whilst engaged by national children’s charity, the Alannah & Madeline Foundation, Daniel Donahoo, led the co-design of this project with early years educators to ensure that it was fit-for-purpose and a practical support to those working in and engaging with the early years space. A suite of resources and play-based activities were developed to support educators to create play environments where young children can acquire the skills and knowledge to use technology in safe and appropriate ways that align to their age and capacity.

Following on from the delivery and roll-out of the Playing IT Safe initiative, Project Synthesis was further engaged in overseeing and executive an extension to the original project which saw early childhood educators and children working together to communicate their ideas and expectations about digital technology to parents.

Collaborators on this project included the Alannah & Madeline Foundation, Gowrie Victoria and Kids Own Publishing.