A guide to help parents of pre-schoolers help children get the best out of their online gaming experience.
Take a look at the tips to see how what you need to think about before they start, what conversations to have and things you can practically do to keep them safe on the platforms and devices they use.
Online gaming is increasingly popular with younger children so it’s important to do a bit of research around the types of age-appropriate games that are available for your child
Learn more about what ratings mean to make the right choices on the games for your child and avoid games that involve playing with others online
With more and more ‘free-to-play’ games available featuring in-game purchases, it’s important to see what additional cost may be involved if you download these types of games to avoid getting caught out with a big bill. Setting controls to restrict in-app purchases can help as tech solution.
Keep them engaged and learning by giving younger children a varied diet of educational games that teach them basic maths to more fun games that feature they’re favourite TV characters that can help them to develop their problem-solving skills and creativity
Have a discussion and create a family agreement on what games they can play, when and for how long for to set clear boundaries to help them have a safer experience while gaming.
If things go wrong while they are gaming (i.e. they see something upsetting) makes sure they know what to do, whether it is to turn off the screen or go speak to you or a trusted adult to resolve the situation.
Read online reviews by parents to get a better understanding of the games.
Use sites like PEGI that offer age-specific game reviews to focus your search.
Familiarise yourself with the parental controls on your child’s console, mobile device or gaming app they play to ensure they can only access content that is age-appropriate.
Increasingly children are spending more time gaming so using tech tools on devices they use to manage the time they spend and what they play can help them build good online habits.
Use our set up safe gaming parental controls how to guide to learn how to make use of the tools
Typically, younger children will need a lot of guidance when it comes to choosing and playing games. Playing together can help build their confidence and keep you engaged in their digital world
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