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Interests & Risks

Children 5–7 years of age

At this stage of development, children enjoy fun activities and seek more independence. They think in the here and now and can follow simple rules enforced by adults. They are likely to engage in:

Online gaming

The interactive components of online games make them a lot of fun and appealing for children, and they can be played on many devices like gaming consoles, computers, and mobile devices. While children enjoy playing games online, it is important to make sure games are appropriate for your child’s age.

Children can easily be redirected to inappropriate content on other sites through chat functions and advertisements.

  • Know and explore the games your child wants to play online to determine if the game is age-appropriate. Considerations may include:
    • Is the game moderated?
    • Does the game contain age-appropriate content?
    • Is there an interactive (chat) component in the game? Is this an optional feature that can be turned off?
    • Are there other optional features that can be turned off for safety?
    • Are there advertisements in the game that can redirect kids to other sites?
  • Review the game guidelines. Can you report any inappropriate activity?
  • Create your child’s login and password information. A parent or safe adult should always supervise the online activities of children this age.
  • Teach your child to check with you before playing new games or sharing any information online.
  • Just as you would explain guidelines for playing games offline, the same should be done for games played online.
  • Teach your child that if someone they don’t know sends them an attachment or link, not to click on it.
  • Teach your child not to click on advertisements in the game – this may require you to teach them what they can click on (parts of the game) and what they shouldn’t click on.
  • Tell your child to let you know if they come across something or someone while playing an online game that makes them feel uncomfortable Let them know it is not their fault if that happens.

Search engines

Children can go online and find fun games to play and videos to watch. While they now have fun, informative, and educational content at their fingertips, there are considerations for making the experience a positive one.

Despite many safety features, children can still happen upon content that is inappropriate for them to see.

  • Use filtering options available on many search engines to help moderate the search results that appear. While not 100% effective, it helps to avoid violent and adult content.
  • Assist your child in searching for topics they are interested in. A parent or safe adult should always supervise the online activities of children this age.
  • Set limits on the amount of time your child spends online.
  • Some search engines allow parents to receive notifications whenever their child tries to download an app or visit a blocked website. Check your search engine for parental controls.
  • Teach your child to check with you first before searching for something online.
  • Tell your child that if they come across something while online that makes them feel uncomfortable, to tell you about it.

Video-sharing platforms

Watching videos online is very popular with children, but children can accidentally be exposed to inappropriate content as they select different videos to watch.

Many video-sharing platforms do not provide the option to set parental controls or restrict what content children can view.

  • Preview any videos your child wants to watch to ensure they are age appropriate.
  • Help your child search for videos they are interested in. A parent or safe adult should always supervise the online activities of children this age.
  • Set limits on the amount of time your child spends watching videos.
  • Teach your child to check with you first before searching for videos.
  • Tell your child that if they come across something online that makes them feel uncomfortable, to tell you about it.