New tools and activities have been developed to equip children and families to become good digital citizens and thrive in a digital world.
The Lego Group has launched a new programme of fun, interactive guides, games and play activities designed to help parents raise digitally smart families.
The new tools and activities have been developed by the Lego Group in collaboration with the DQ Institute – a world-leading think tank on digital citizenship and child online safety – to equip children and families with the digital knowledge and skills needed to thrive and be safe in a digital world.
At the heart of the new activities launched today is Doom the Gloom, a mix of mini-games and interactive videos that provide children with the opportunity to playfully explore and learn more about safety and wellbeing in the digital world.
The Doom the Gloom experience explores eight key competency areas identified by the DQ Institute’s DQ Framework that empower children to become positive digital citizens, who contribute to healthy digital communities, and includes interactive videos and mini games all designed to enhance digital skills.
The child-focused Doom the Gloom experience is complemented by a host of other tools to help parents and families become digitally smarter, with a Digitally Smart Guide for parents, a Digitally Smart Explorer game for families to help reinforce their digital skills and knowledge learnt and two new story-style Build & Talk activity packs.
“As children are spending more and more time online with home-based learning and social distancing, it is critically important for parents and families to be equipped with tools that they can easily use to empower their children in becoming good digital citizens with critical thinking at a young age,” said Yuhyun Park, founder of the DQ Institute and international expert in digital skills and child online safety. We are so pleased to be partnering with the Lego Group on the development of these programmes.”
Kathrine Kirk Muff, VP of Social Responsibility at the LEGO Group, added: “Play should be as safe in the digital world as in the physical one. That’s why we design all our digital products and experiences with child safety at the core. We hope these new activities enable families to playfully explore what it means to be a good friend and player online – a digital citizen – to nurture healthy digital safety habits and better understand how they can contribute to safer and more positive communities in a digital age.”
Doom the Gloom is now available globally in 20 different languages. The new parent and family focused experiences are being launched globally in English from 6th October and German from 4th November and will be available at www.LEGO.com/digitalsafety. All activities, experiences and guides are available free.
