Bletchley Park has created a board game to promote safe internet use among children.
The Internet Safety Board Game has been used since last year with school pupils as part of the museum's educational programme, as well as in sessions with families, and is available free to download.
Players win the game by getting their counter to the finishing line first. Landing on certain squares means picking up a card outlining an internet security situation. Cards describing safe online practice allow players to move forwards, while those describing unsafe behaviour cause them to fall behind.
The cards also feature questions designed to stimulate discussion. There are two different sets, designed for young people aged 8 to 11 and 11 to 14.
The game was created by Nicola Gale, the museum’s online safety education officer, who was previously a secondary school science teacher and led drug and alcohol outreach sessions before working for the Bletchley Park Trust.
Gale said that the game aimed to encourage children to talk about internet safety informally, rather than having a forced conversation with an adult.
“The children already know a lot; they are being reminded in a way that means an adult doesn’t have to lead the way,” said Gale.
An image from a recent exhibition at Bletchley Park on cybersecurity was used as a backdrop for the board.
The Internet Safety Board Game has been used since last year with school pupils as part of the museum's educational programme, as well as in sessions with families, and is available free to download.
Players win the game by getting their counter to the finishing line first. Landing on certain squares means picking up a card outlining an internet security situation. Cards describing safe online practice allow players to move forwards, while those describing unsafe behaviour cause them to fall behind.
The cards also feature questions designed to stimulate discussion. There are two different sets, designed for young people aged 8 to 11 and 11 to 14.
The game was created by Nicola Gale, the museum’s online safety education officer, who was previously a secondary school science teacher and led drug and alcohol outreach sessions before working for the Bletchley Park Trust.
Gale said that the game aimed to encourage children to talk about internet safety informally, rather than having a forced conversation with an adult.
“The children already know a lot; they are being reminded in a way that means an adult doesn’t have to lead the way,” said Gale.
An image from a recent exhibition at Bletchley Park on cybersecurity was used as a backdrop for the board.