We have been asked the question several times: are there board games that can be used in class or during after-school time to do prevention work around screens? Yes! Board or card games can open up discussion with children about their digital habits. Here are three ideas, offered by Réseau Canopé or the CNIL, for making room for these conversations.
Médiasphères, published by Réseau Canopé, is particularly interesting for tackling these questions from age 10 up, then in middle and high school, adapting the cards to the group. Around a board, participants play in teams and reflect on situations linked to their digital lives: personal data, social media, online identity… The questions invite players to compare viewpoints and build an answer together. The adult supports the exchanges, clarifies the concepts and helps everyone step back. The game thus becomes an opportunity to talk about what we do with screens, without needing to switch one on! Discover Médiasphères on the Canopé website.
For the youngest, from age 7, the CNIL offers Données paires-sonnelles (a pun on “personal data” and “pairs”), a memory game to download and print. The principle is familiar: finding pairs of identical cards. The illustrations then make it possible to discover what personal data is and to talk about the information we share. A game lasts about fifteen minutes: a short format that can serve as a starting point for a discussion about what we want to keep to ourselves. Download the game on the CNIL website.
The CNIL also provides a card game for staying safe on the internet (“pour rester net sur Internet”), to print, based on questions and answers. It can be played in pairs or in teams, with a game master. The answers come with tips for better understanding the issues of privacy protection. Enough to prepare a workshop and carry the conversation beyond the score! Discover and download the cards.
These tools address different dimensions of digital education, beyond just the time spent in front of screens. To use them, let us also allow time to listen to children, welcome their questions and look together for reference points. Everyone should be able to take part without being obliged to recount a personal experience.
Because supporting screen use also means creating opportunities to talk about it. And around a game table, the conversation can start quite simply.
O. D.
