Help your child learn what to keep private, what's safe to share —
and always ask a grown-up when they're not sure.
💡 The big idea
Some things belong to our family — they're our SECRET STUFF and we keep them close.
Some things are totally fine to share with friends and new people — that's our SHARE STUFF.
And when we're not sure? We ask a grown-up first.
🔒SECRET STUFFOur family's private things. We keep these in the family — not for strangers or apps.
🤝SHARE STUFFSafe to tell friends and people we meet. No problem sharing these!
🙋ASK A GROWN-UPNot sure? Always check with a safe grown-up before sharing anything on a screen.
Why this matters on screens:
Apps, games, and websites sometimes ask for information they don't need.
If your child knows SECRET STUFF from SHARE STUFF, they can pause and come get you
instead of typing something private into a box.
🛒 What you'll need
🟠 One orange or red card (SECRET STUFF)
🟩 One green card (SHARE STUFF)
⭐ Stickers for the "Privacy Protector" reward
📋 This page — you read the statements aloud
No cards? No problem. Your child can point to one of your hands — left for SECRET, right for SHARE.
Three hands up (both fists, or a shrug) for "ask a grown-up."
🎮 How to play
Put the orange card and the green card in front of your child.
Explain: "I'm going to say something. If it's SECRET STUFF — things we keep in the family — touch the orange card. If it's SHARE STUFF — totally safe to tell people — touch the green card. If you're not sure, give me a shrug. We'll figure it out together."
Read each statement below, one at a time. Pause and let your child respond.
Every time they correctly identify SECRET STUFF — give a sticker. Every honest shrug gets one too.
For statement 5, pause and say: "That one's tricky — let's talk about it." Use the note below as a guide.
🗣️ The six statements
Read each one aloud. Answers and notes are for you — your child doesn't see them.
Statement 1
"My favourite colour is [child's favourite]."
🤝 SHARE STUFFA great opener — easy win to build confidence
Statement 2
"Our home address is [your street]."
🔒 SECRET STUFFIf they don't know the address yet — that's fine. The skill is "don't share it," not "memorise it."
Statement 3
"My first name is [child's first name]."
🤝 SHARE STUFFFirst name alone, with a grown-up nearby, is safe to share
Statement 4
"Our family's special code word is [word]."
🔒 SECRET STUFFIf you don't have a family code word, use: "Our WiFi password" or "The number of steps to our door"
Statement 5 — talk about this one
"I'm home alone right now."
🔒 SECRET STUFFSecret from strangers and apps — but always tell a safe grown-up
Statement 6 — safety tie-in
"A game asked me to type my home address to get a free prize."
🔒 SECRET STUFFReal prizes never need your address from a child
💬 After statement 5, say: "Home alone is a secret from strangers and from apps — but it's never a secret from our safe grown-ups. If you ever feel unsafe at home, you always tell me or [name another safe adult]."
This prevents the lesson from teaching children to hide unsafe situations from all adults.
💬 After statement 6, say: "Real games never need your address. If anything on a screen asks for our address, our phone number, or where I work — that's SECRET STUFF. Close the app and come get me."
🔒
The Privacy Protector Sticker
Every time your child spots SECRET STUFF — or gives an honest shrug and asks you instead
of guessing — give them a sticker. The sticker is for the pause and the question,
not the certainty. At 10–15 stickers, trade for a shared activity they pick.
The goal is to make "I'm not sure, let me ask" feel like a win — because it is.
🌱 Signs it's working
Your child uses the words "secret stuff" or "share stuff" during the day without prompting.
They come to you before entering personal information into any app or website.
They say "that's secret stuff" when someone asks for something that feels private.
They understand that some things are secret from strangers — but never from safe grown-ups.
Do this next:Who is my safe grown-up? —
the paired activity. Once your child knows what SECRET STUFF is, they need to know exactly
who to go to when something feels wrong.