Online safety starts early

How to support children under-5 online

You can help your Early Years child build good digital habits as soon as they start using devices. See how to help under-5s build media literacy skills to support them as they grow with our 4-part video series created in partnership with EE.

WATCH SERIES

What is Online Safety Starts Early?

Online Safety Starts Early is a 4-episode series, created with EE, for parents, carers and educators of children in Early Years.

Teaching children to problem solve and think carefully about their actions already starts young. Staying safe online is no different. This video series teaches parents, carers and educators of Early Years children how to:

Normalise daily conversations and check-ins to create an open space for chats about online safety as children grow
Introduce good digital habits such as balancing device use
Teach toddlers basic mindfulness like recognising when it’s time for a break
Set children’s devices up for safe and happy use through a range of parental controls and tools

BT Consumer Group

View partner's page

What’s on this page

Why tackling online safety for under-5s is important
Episode 1: Good habits start early
Episode 2: Supporting mindful digital use
Episode 3: Setting up devices for safety
Episode 4: Make digital chats a part of your toddler’s everyday

Why tackling online safety is important for under-5s

The internet and connected devices is a part of every child’s life as they grow. From playing games to learning skills, tech offers a wide range of benefits.

However, connectivity also means risk that could lead to potential harm. As children grow, they will have more accounts and use more devices, which could increase the chance of online harm.

Like teaching a child to look both ways before crossing the street, teaching online safety skills young means it will stay with them as they grow.

92%

92% of under-5s use video-sharing platforms (VSPs) like YouTube.

23%

23% of under-5s use social media apps or sites.

48%

48% of under-5s send messages or make video calls on devices.

38%

38% of under-5s have their own YouTube profile.

Source: Children’s Media Use and Attitudes 2023 (Ofcom) – data on 3-4-year-olds

How to keep your toddler safe online

Ready to start? Choose a topic to start introducing online safety and media literacy to your child under 5. We recommend watching one video and then following the related resources to take action before moving onto the next.

Episode 1: Good habits start early

Learn why and how to introduce guidelines, parental controls and conversations into your toddler’s online life. Help them build and develop positive habits to support them as they grow.

Resources to help you take action

Now that you’ve watched the first episode, here are some resources to act on what you learnt. Choose what works best for your toddler’s online safety to support them in Early Years and beyond.

A mother and child with a tick between them.

Set boundaries

Create a family agreement

Use parental controls

Set up devices safely

Talk about how they feel

Explore guide

Episode 2: Supporting mindful digital use

Help your Early Years child understand how devices and screen time makes them feel. Learn about teaching mindfulness, talking about the content they watch and finding patterns in how screen time makes them feel.

Resources to help you take action

Now that you’ve watched the second episode, here are some resources to take action. Choose what works best for your toddler’s online safety and development.

A dad and young child with emojis between them.

Teach mindfulness

Explore apps

A child with a speech bubble that has a question mark in it.

Talk about content

View content for under-5s

A calendar with a range of different emojis to represent emotions.

Track their moods

Browse wellbeing apps

Episode 3: Setting up devices for safety

Learn what features your toddler’s favourite devices have to keep them safe and secure online. From in-built features to additional apps, see what you can do to create a safety net during screen time.

Resources to help you take action

Now that you’ve watched the third episode, find below some resources and guides to safely set up the devices your toddler uses. Choose what best fits with your toddler’s digital use and online safety needs.

Set controls on broadband

Explore step-by-step guides

Create individual accounts

Find guides

A dad and small child with icons related to privacy.

Check their devices

Review checklist

A mother and a child looking at a laptop screen with security warning icons around them.

Learn about security

Explore cyber security

Second-hand devices guide

View guide

Episode 4: Make digital chats a parts of toddler’s everyday

Conversations are so important for children’s online safety. In this episode, learn what kind of conversations you can have with your toddler to help them stay safe online, especially as they grow.

Resources to help you take action

Now that you’ve watched the final episode, start talking! See our collection of resources for talking digital with your child. Choose what works best for your toddler’s stage of digital use.