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Virtually Making Friends

Supervise and support your child while teaching them how to conduct themselves appropriately online, and model how to address problematic behavior from others while playing Animal Jam or any online cooperative game of choice.

Materials

Computer or mobile device
Printable with online community rules for communication

Instructions

Locate the website for the cooperative game that your child wishes to play. The game should have parent approval and monitoring.
Register for the game with your child and provide a parent email address to receive communications directly from other players or the game administrator.
Create an avatar or choose a character.
Use the random name generator or choose a username that does not reveal your child’s personal information.
Enter birthdate and email information. The correct birthdate is essential for legal and protective reasons; email should go directly to the parent or guardian.
Explore levels or worlds- this is the opportunity to find a place to chat and engage in cooperative play. When your child encounters an area with other players, supervise communication, and praise good communication while correcting inappropriate responses. If another player communicates in a harmful or improper way, mentor your child through the conversation. Give them choices: ignore the inappropriate comments, leave the area, or teach them an appropriate response to resolve an issue.
Encourage your child to visit other areas, collect “gems” or tokens to earn and spend within the game, and collect items and journal about what they find.
Journaling is an excellent way to reinforce good communication skills and enhance reading and writing skills. It is also a way to monitor what your child is presented with while playing the game, and it helps to correct them when they are inclined to handle a circumstance inappropriately.
Utilize any printable activities that are associated with the game. This helps you as a parent to measure the value of the game they are playing and to reinforce ethical conduct and communication in the game.

Why is this a great thing to do?

Develops cooperative skills.

Strengthens communication skills.

Improves hand-eye coordination.

Teaches empathy.

Talk About

“Why is it important to learn to work together?”

“What is respect?”

“What if someone asks you for your REAL name?”

“What should you do if someone says a bad word or says something that makes you uncomfortable?”

“What would you do if your friend made a mistake and made you angry?”

“Is it ever okay to try to meet a friend in person that you met in an online game?”

“What are some kind things to say that would make someone feel happy to play with you online?”

Tips & Extensions

Be aware that even though you can edit parental controls on your child’s side of the game, the other party may not be filtered, and there is no control over what other players may say to your child or other users during play

It is easy for your child to lose track of time while playing games with others. Consider setting a time limit before your child starts playing so they will not be upset when it’s time to leave the game.

Vocabulary

Respectful

When someone is respectful, they are polite when they talk to, work, or play with others. Respectful people appreciate what other people do and say, even if they have different opinions or ways of looking at things.

Community

A group of people who are in the same location

Chat

To communicate in a friendly and informal way

Appropriate

Suitable or proper in the circumstances

Inappropriate

Not suitable or appropriate in the circumstances

Cooperation

Working together to reach the same goal

Avatar

A visual representation of a person in video games or online forums

Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) Standards

1A-IC-17

Work respectfully and responsibly with others online.