Whether tidying up, dancing or in the car – music accompanies many families in everyday life. Children often discover music with their whole body: they listen carefully, sing along, move, clap and try out sounds.
Digital offerings can be a great addition: they help you get to know new songs and instruments or get creative yourself. Even if you don’t play an instrument yourself or don’t feel particularly musical: You can still accompany your child in their musical discovery. You don’t have to sing “properly” or play music perfectly. It is enough to enjoy sounds, songs and movement together.
Children’s song videos invite you to sing and dance together and discover new favorite songs. Children’s songs on YouTube are already suitable for younger children. If you want to search for and play songs there, it’s best to use YouTube Kids. There are no advertisements before or during the videos and it is easier to find suitable content for children.
On the channel Children’s Songs with Bobby there are music videos with the llama Bobby. The colorful animated cartoons are particularly appealing to small children. The songs can also be found on the website kinderlieder-mit-bobby.de, where they are sorted into categories such as Christmas songs, music mixes and lullabies.
The channel Kinderlieder zum Mitsingen und Bewegen lives up to its name: Here, families can find a large selection of different playlists full of well-known and new children’s songs where children and adults can sing, dance and join in together.
Classical music can also be discovered in a playful way for children, with digital offers that invite them to listen, try out and join in.
Children can learn a lot about instruments and classical music on the Junge Klassik website. The site has a colorful and playful design. Conducting an orchestra, finding sound pairs, getting to know sounds – even adults are sure to discover something new.
The WDR sound box is a fun way to explore the world of music. The site is designed as a web app and therefore also works well on smartphones. There are rhythm and sound games, concert videos and many other offers. The sound box is particularly suitable for slightly older children who not only want to listen to music, but also understand and try it out.
At first glance, operas seem more like something for adults. With the Opera Maker app children immerse themselves in the world of opera, invent their own stories and set them to music. The accompanying website shows what this can look like.
The children’s website Afrika-Junior provides insights into the musical worlds of different regions of Africa. Children can listen to popular children’s songs, watch video clips and test their knowledge in a quiz on African music.
The very simply designed website Surakinder offers a musical and picture-rich world of experience for children. Behind every field is beautiful music, dancing flowers, fairy tale characters and much more. The offer is also available on YouTube.
At Auditorix, everything revolves around music, listening and DIY. Children can discover music, develop their own ideas and even learn how to build instruments. The music box contains royalty-free music, for example for your own radio play projects.
With digital music tools, children can try out sounds, invent their own rhythms and create their first little songs.
On the interactive Chrome Music Lab website, children can experiment with different rhythms and melodies and create their own little songs. There are 14 music tools available for this purpose. The site is free of charge and can be used without registration.
The GarageBand app is pre-installed on Apple devices free of charge. It offers many virtual instruments with which children can compose their own songs. The microphone can also be used to record your own voice or real instruments.
Creating your own songs from beats and music tracks is possible with the Groovepad app. Short lessons make it easy to get started. The basic version is free, but only offers limited functions. The premium version costs 14.99 euros per month or 47.99 euros per year.
Apps such as Mini Piano Lite or RealDrum: Playing drums make it possible to try out instruments virtually. They don’t replace real instruments, but they do provide an initial playful approach. They can often be used to accompany simple songs or create your own recordings.
Class chats are conducted via WhatsApp, reels are shared on Instagram and people organize themselves in sports clubs via Facebook groups. Many children and young people use several Meta services every day, often without realizing that they all belong to the same company. It is helpful for parents to understand how these services are connected.
Meta Platforms was originally called Facebook Inc. and was founded in 2004. The company changed its name to Meta in 2021. The company wanted to show that it has long been offering more than just Facebook and is increasingly focusing on virtual worlds and artificial intelligence.
The company includes, among others:
The apps are free to use and are primarily financed by advertising. To do this, Meta collects a lot of information about what content users view, like, comment on or share and how long they are active. Location data, device information and interests are also included.
Meta’s various services are closely interlinked. People who use WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook at the same time leave behind a lot of information about their own usage behavior. Meta uses this information to create interest profiles for personalized advertising and recommendations.
In addition to social media, Meta is investing heavily in digital and virtual worlds. Users can immerse themselves in digital gaming or leisure worlds via the VR goggles Meta Quest. Meta is also integrating AI functions(Meta AI) directly into WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook. They can answer questions, formulate texts, generate images or summarize content. Incorrect or misleading answers are also possible.
Meta-services fulfill many needs at the same time. WhatsApp is often the most important communication channel for young people. Class chats, appointments or leisure groups usually take place directly via the messenger. Those who cannot be reached there quickly miss out on important information or feel excluded. Instagram offers entertainment and opportunities for self-expression. Likes, comments and follower numbers give many young people a sense of attention and belonging. A lot of content is automatically suggested. Reels, memes, influencer content and AI chatbots provide a constant supply. As a result, children and young people often spend significantly more time on the apps than planned.
Meta services are designed to hold your attention for as long as possible. Children and young people in particular often find it difficult to switch off as a result. Possible risks include
Younger children in particular often do not yet understand how platforms select content or why certain posts are displayed repeatedly. Advertising or AI-generated content is also often difficult for them to recognize.
Meta refers to various safety and parental control functions within the apps. These include privacy settings, reporting and blocking functions as well as parental controls for individual services such as Instagram. The company also emphasizes that AI functions should be developed responsibly. However, critics continue to criticize the extensive collection of data and the difficult-to-understand privacy settings.
Make connections visible: Explain to your child that WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and Threads all belong to the same company. Many functions, advertisements and data collections are interlinked.
Set privacy settings together: Regularly go through the privacy settings together. Among other things, check who can see content or send messages, whether the location is visible and which data is used for advertising. Public profiles, groups or AI functions should also be checked regularly.
Talk about algorithms: Children and young people should understand that platforms do not display the most important content, but often what generates attention for a particularly long time. This can be funny, but also provocative or emotionally charged content.
Question advertising and influencers: Discuss together how influencers earn money and why certain products constantly appear. A lot of advertising content appears personal or spontaneous, but is part of targeted marketing strategies.
Critically accompany AI functions: Explain to your child that AI systems are not real friends and are not neutral sources of knowledge. Answers may be incorrect or contain prejudices. Personal information should not be entered in AI chats.
Consciously organize screen time: Endless feeds and push notifications make it difficult to take conscious media breaks. Help your child to plan offline times and reduce notifications.
Remain open to discussion: Prohibitions alone are usually of little help. It is important that your child receives support in the event of unpleasant experiences and can talk openly about problematic content, conflicts or contacts.
Children and young people now use ChatGPT in many everyday situations, for example for homework, creative projects or research. The AI chatbot answers questions in just a few seconds and often acts like a real conversation partner. We explain what the tool is all about and what parents should look out for.
ChatGPT is an AI chatbot that has been trained with large volumes of text. It can understand language and formulate its own answers. Users enter a question or task and usually receive an answer within a few seconds.
The tool can summarize, explain or create new texts. Voice input is also possible. For children, using the tool often feels like talking to a real person, as the answers are formulated very naturally.
Parents can check data protection and security settings together with their child and supervise their use.
Note: As of January 2026, ChatGPT is no longer available via WhatsApp.
ChatGPT is easy to use and usually responds in just a few seconds. It helps with homework, explains difficult topics or provides creative ideas for stories and projects. Voice conversations are also possible. Questions can be asked verbally and answers are given in a natural-sounding voice. This makes it particularly easy for many children to use in everyday life.
OpenAI offers protection and control functions for families. Parents and teenagers can link their accounts and control various settings: quiet times, reduce sensitive content, restrict group chats, deactivate image generation and audio mode, switch off memory (storage function) and limit data usage for training and history. Stricter settings apply to linked accounts of young people. Parents do not see the chats, but can be notified in the event of potential risks.
OpenAI also uses age detection to automatically activate stricter protection functions for minors. These measures reduce risks, but do not offer complete protection.
Try out ChatGPT together: Use the tool together and talk about the answers.
Use the parental controls: activate and check the settings regularly.
Do not rely on technology aloneSupplement protective functions with discussions and support.
Encourage critical thinking: Explain that AI does not provide reliable facts. Ask ChatGPT to name sources and check them together with your child. A comparison with other AI offerings can also be useful.
Pay attention to data protection: Do not enter any personal data such as names, addresses or photos.
Talk about learning with AI: Make it clear that AI can support, but not replace your own performance.
Agree on clear rules: Decide together when and how ChatGPT will be used.
Keep the conversation going: Encourage your child to talk about experiences or problems.
Keep yourself regularly informed: Follow new functions and developments relating to AI offerings.
The social media platform Instagram is very popular with children and young people. This raises the question of how young users can be well supported and protected on the social network. Instagram therefore offers various settings for young people to enable greater safety. We present the most important functions.
On social networks such as Instagram, young people can come across inappropriate content such as erotic images, dangerous challenges, disinformation, extremist content or advertising. Dealing with issues such as cyberbullying, problematic contacts or the unwanted dissemination of their own data and posts can be challenging. Because young people are often still learning how to deal with such risks, they need special protection. This is why platforms have been legally obliged to provide protective measures for minors as well as guidance and settings options for parents since the amendment of the Youth Protection Act.
For young people aged 13 to 17, a teen account is created by default when they register with Instagram. Such an account is characterized by the following points, among others:
About the parental supervision parents can link their children’s accounts with their own and monitor and restrict their use, e.g. set time limits or make security settings. Parents are informed about their children’s activities here – for example, how long they have been active on the network, what contacts have taken place or whether content has been reported or blocked. If you do not use parental control, If young people between the ages of 13 and 15 use Instagram without parental control, the strictest security settings automatically apply to their teen account. Young people aged 16 and over can relax the security settings of their teen account themselves without parental supervision.
The settings in the teen accounts relate exclusively to how the account itself is set up on the platform. In addition, there are general security measures that you should implement together with your child:
You can find a step-by-step guide to parental controls on Instagram at medien-kindersicher.de. Instagram offers a guide for parents with conversation starters and a glossary of important terms.
Safety settings, teen account and parental supervision create an important basis for more protection on Instagram. The following points are also important to help your child use Instagram safely:
Instagram offers families support with safe use. However, it remains crucial that you talk to your child regularly about safety, well-being and potential risks on social media and that you are available to answer questions and problems. This will help your child develop confidence and skills in dealing with media.
Instagram remains one of the most popular social media platforms, especially among young people. The app makes it possible to share photos and videos, create stories and interact with friends and influencers.
Instagram, or Insta for short, is one of the largest social networks alongside Facebook and TikTok. It offers users the opportunity to create their own profile and connect with each other.
Images and videos can be shared via the profile. Users can either publish content as permanent posts or post it as a story or live video. Stories and live streams disappear after 24 hours, but can be saved as a highlight. The photos and videos of subscribed channels and people are displayed in the feed.
Users can find a wide variety of content on Insta: Postings from stars, brands and challenges through to personal profiles of friends. They can respond with likes and comments, save content and chat with each other via direct messages (“DMs”). Profiles and posts can contain links that lead to other websites.
Users can create and edit their own posts with filters, emojis and fonts directly in the app. Content is sorted by topic using hashtags. Reels (short TikTok-style videos) can be accessed via the video icon.
At the end of 2023, Meta also launched the Threads social media app in Germany. This is linked to Instagram.
Since around 2025, Instagram has increasingly relied on AI services, offering image editing, for example, but also text creation for posts and hashtags via AI. Connecting with each other is also becoming even more possible via “friends tabs” and location functions.
Young people up to the age of 18 automatically have so-called teen accounts with additional protective functions such as restricted contact options and stricter content filters. The accounts are set to private by default and have an integrated time limit – after 60 minutes of use, young people are asked to exit the app. From the age of 16, young people can relax the restrictions themselves. The “Parental control” function allows parents to monitor and restrict their child’s use. Activation must be approved by the parent and the young person.
Data protection: Instagram should be treated with caution when it comes to data protection for several reasons.
Costs: Instagram is basically free of charge. However, many profiles advertise products that can be purchased with just a few clicks. Ads with corresponding links also frequently appear in the feeds and are difficult to distinguish from real content. Creators and influencers can also offer exclusive content that can be accessed via a paid subscription. Meta has also been offering a subscription model for Facebook and Instagram since 2024: For at least €5.99 per month, the provider promises not to show any personalized advertising. Of course, general advertising is still available – and Meta also continues to collect data.
Inappropriate content: Certain content can be problematic for young people, such as erotic images, dangerous challenges, disinformation or advertising. Influencer business models play a special role here, which young people do not always recognize. Content created using artificial intelligence in particular can contain very problematic content and is difficult for young people to distinguish from real content. This applies to deepnudes or deepfakes, for example, but also to political campaigns.
Communication risks: Functions such as chats and comments harbor communication risks such as being contacted by strangers, hate speech or cyberbullying.
Artificial intelligence: AI is also becoming an increasingly important topic in social networks. It plays a role in several areas:
Despite the official minimum age of 13, there is no effective age check. There are extensive usage and settings options for minors and their parents. You can read a short version of the terms of use at Handysektor and download a flyer with the most important safety information about Instagram for young people from klicksafe.
Parents can link their account with that of their child in the parental control. All setting options can be found on the medien-kindersicher.de website. You can find out how Instagram wants to make the app safer for young people directly on the Instagram website.
Consider together with your child at what age and according to what rules they are allowed to use Instagram. Check the app settings together so that your child can use Instagram as safely as possible. Not all photos must or may be shared with everyone or only with friends. In addition to your own boundaries, it is also important that your child knows and respects the copyrights and personal rights of others.
Talk to your child about communication risks. Show your child how they can block or report other users and explain to them when these functions are useful – for example, if someone insults your child in the comments. Your child should not accept requests from strangers and should use their own data, such as their location , sparingly.
Educate your child about risks such as harmful content, hate speech, disinformation and political opinion making. Also talk about critical behavior of influencers and stay in conversation with your child about one-sided role models and clichés. Stay interested and regularly ask who your child follows on Instagram and who follows them. It is important that your child knows that they can always talk to you if they have an unpleasant experience on the platform.
The Toniebox can be found in many children’s rooms and makes it possible to play radio plays and music independently. The Toniebox 2 adds new functions: Content becomes more interactive and invites children to join in.
The Toniebox is an audio system that has been specially developed for children. Content is not selected via a menu, but controlled by figures. When a Tonie is placed on the box, a story, music or radio play starts automatically. The Toniebox is one of the audio boxes for children.
There are Tonies with ready-made content, such as figures or audio books, as well as creative Tonies that can be played with your own recordings. These are uploaded and saved via the Toniecloud. The box is deliberately easy to use: you can fast-forward or rewind by tilting it, tap it to skip between chapters and adjust the volume using the ‘ears’.
The Toniebox 2 adds additional functions. Content becomes more interactive via “Tonieplay”. Children not only listen, but are encouraged to join in, for example through small tasks, speaking along or movement.
Once set up via WLAN, the Toniebox can also be used without an Internet connection.
The Toniebox is designed so that even younger children can operate it themselves. No prior reading skills or technical knowledge are required. This helps children to use the Toniebox independently.
The figures play an important role: children recognize familiar characters, collect Tonies and build up an emotional bond. There are stories, songs and knowledge content for different age groups.
With functions such as Tonieplay, children are also involved. They are not just listeners, but part of the story. Creative Tonies offer the opportunity to create your own content. For example, children can listen to stories from familiar people or record something themselves.
The Toniebox is a comparatively secure service without open Internet communication. There are therefore no classic online risks such as contact with strangers.
However, points can still be relevant in everyday life:
The provider describes the Toniebox as robust and child-friendly. The operation has been specially developed for children. According to the provider, the Toniecloud is subject to data protection standards in accordance with European law. Own content and accounts can be deleted. Functions such as Tonieplay add interactive content to the range.
The Toniebox is a good introduction to media use as it does not require a screen. It is particularly useful to accompany your child at the beginning. Pay attention to suitable content and listen in occasionally.
Provide guidance on when and for how long the Toniebox is used in everyday life and pay attention to how your child uses it.
Use creative Tonies together. Your own recordings, such as stories or songs, make the Toniebox more personal. Listening together can encourage interaction, especially with younger children.
Keep an eye on the costs. In addition to the box, you will have to pay for other figures. A tip: clay figures can often be borrowed from libraries.
The colorful game app Toca Boca World is particularly popular with many younger children. They can design their own characters and use them to invent exciting and creative stories in Toca Boca World. The app invites them to decorate houses according to their own ideas, eat cake in the café, work in the hospital or post office and much more. There are no limits to the imagination.
Toca Boca World is all about creativity and free play. Imaginative locations such as cities, villages and beaches invite you to explore and play. There are no levels or time limits that have to be met.
After downloading the app, players can move freely in the world and design it according to their own ideas. They choose characters that they can customize according to their appearance and characteristics. They furnish and decorate houses and rooms according to their taste. Day or night, sun or rain, what music comes on the radio – everything can be customized.
Players can complete tasks at some locations, but there are usually no fixed instructions. Additional avatars, locations, activities and pets can be added via in-app purchases. A video recording function makes it possible to play out your own stories with the characters and record them using images and sound.
Children really enjoy creating their own worlds and inventing creative stories. It is particularly exciting for them to design the play figures entirely according to their own ideas. Not only can they choose from different hair and skin colors, they can also create characters in wheelchairs, with glasses or prostheses.
The different game environments and the opportunity to slip into different roles motivate children to keep playing and experience new adventures. There is almost no text in the colorful worlds, which makes the game playable even for children without reading skills.
The privacy policy of the Toca Boca app states that no third-party advertising is included. The app is free to download, but offers in-app purchases. Children can use these to unlock new characters, stations or gifts if a payment option is stored on the device.
The app stores user data such as gaming behavior and device information and evaluates it for marketing purposes. Third-party services are also used, for example Google. Parents’ data is collected when they make a purchase in the Toca Boca store, activate notifications or subscribe to the newsletter. Data deletion can be requested by sending an email to privacy@tocaboca.com.
The video recording function allows children to record images and sound of the game and save them on the device. If access to the microphone is permitted, the app will also use it. Access can be denied again in the app permissions of the end device.
Toca Boca is a Swedish game developer and is therefore bound by EU data protection laws. The provider advertises that children are involved in the development of the app. The app does not contain any content that is unsuitable for children. The game developers are thus responding to the demands of various children’s rights organizations to take children and their rights into account when developing products for children.
Toca Boca claims to want to live up to the PRIVO seal. This seal is awarded by an independent organization that is committed to protecting children’s data online. On the Toca Boca website, the provider provides a privacy policy for children in understandable language.
When using the Toca Boca World app, it makes sense to clarify a few rules and settings in order to make the game safe and meaningful for your child:
Accompanying the first steps of use: The app is particularly aimed at younger children. Accompany your child during the first steps of use. This will help you familiarize yourself with the functions and observe how your child reacts to the game app.
Set media rules and play times: Create rules for digital games together and include the use of the app in the family’s media rules. The app has no time limits and can be played indefinitely. Decide together how much time your child is allowed to spend with the app.
Deactivate functions in the settings: Functions such as the store and video recording can be deactivated in the app settings. This requires the entry of an (adult) date of birth.
Deactivate in-app purchases: Discuss the in-app purchases function with your child in advance. You can deactivate the function or make sure that no payment details are entered in order to avoid accidental purchases.
In the two game apps The Unstoppables 1 and 2, children accompany a group of friends on a joint mission. They solve tasks, work together and experience how differences become shared strength. It can be particularly exciting for children to control heroes with disabilities themselves – characters that are otherwise rarely the focus of games.
The Unstoppables is about Melissa, Achim, Jan, Mai and the dog Tofu. In both games, Melissa’s companion dog Tofu disappears – and the friends have to find him again together. Each character has their own strengths: Mai is good at jumping, Achim is fast in his wheelchair, Jan is strong and Melissa can reach higher things with her cane. In the second part, Rina is another character with a variety of talents. Only when the players combine their abilities can they overcome obstacles and solve puzzles. Both games are designed as an adventure and point-and-click app and are easy to use.
The game makes the challenges faced by people with disabilities visible. For example, children experience what happens when Achim in his wheelchair hits a gravel path and can’t get any further. The playful solutions to such situations encourage reflection and promote understanding and empathy. Crossing traffic lights, overcoming stairs, deciphering clues – children also learn how cooperation and community work in The Unstoppables. They puzzle together with their group of friends, solve tasks and think about who can best help and how. This is what makes the games exciting: each character can do something different and becomes important at certain points. This can encourage and show children: Diversity doesn’t get in the way here, it contributes to success!
The detective story and puzzles are fun for children and encourage logical and strategic thinking. The comic style, easy controls and exciting atmosphere are well received by children from late primary school age.
Despite many strengths, it is also worth taking a critical look: Some disabilities are strongly linked to special abilities in the game, which can have a simplistic effect. Barriers are also sometimes solved in such a way that individuals have to help rather than making the environment barrier-free. This can be a good opportunity for parents to talk to children about realistic and inclusive solutions in everyday life.
The games were developed by the Swiss Foundation for Children with Cerebral Palsy as part of the “Principle of Diversity” learning program. The aim of the offer is to sensitize children and young people to topics such as being the same, being different, diversity, strengths, weaknesses and barriers in everyday life. The games are explicitly not just for entertainment, but are part of an educational concept that aims to teach inclusion in a child-friendly and playful way.
Both apps require reading skills. Accompany your child for a while when playing, especially at the beginning. Support them with questions about the controls or the story.
Your child can easily lose track of time when solving tricky tasks. Agree clear arrangements together, such as a fixed screen time.
The Unstoppables offers many opportunities for conversations: about disability, about obstacles in everyday life and about what good cooperation can look like. Remain open to your child’s questions. If you don’t know something, you can research it together. This makes the game apps a good conversation starter about inclusion, diversity and consideration.
Develop your own video game – with just a pen, paper and smartphone? That’s exactly what Draw Your Game Infinite makes possible. The app combines creative drawing with digital fun and teaches children the basics of game design.
With the Draw Your Game Infinite app, users can design their own platform game levels and try out the levels of other users. And this is how it works:
In the free basic version, users can create two levels per day without registering, use the basic design elements and try out and rate numerous platform game levels created by other players. A subscription offers access to a wide range of level creation functions, users can publish the levels they have created online and follow other players.
Children and young people enjoy discovering new things and implementing their own ideas. In Draw Your Game Infinite, they not only play, but also design their own levels and become game developers themselves. What is particularly exciting is that a drawing on paper becomes a real game – giving them an understanding of how games are constructed. Trying things out and failing is also part of the process: If a level doesn’t work as planned, it can easily be adapted. For older children, sharing their own levels in the community can be interesting, as it brings recognition and exchange.
As with many game apps, there are a few things to bear in mind with Draw Your Game Infinite:
The terms of use are available in English and French on the website of the French provider Zero-One. It states that users must be of legal age or require the consent of a parent or guardian to use the app. The provider also points out that some functions require an internet connection and that personal data is processed during registration. Users can contact the provider via a support email address.
Use the app as an opportunity to delve into the world of game development, programming and more with your child. It might even lead to a creative family project of your own!
Battlefield 6 is a first-person shooter in which players fight from a first-person perspective in large-scale online battles. Military weapons, vehicles and realistic war scenarios take center stage. The game is action-packed and violent – and is therefore aimed at older teenagers.
The game is the latest installment in the well-known Battlefield series and continues it with the latest technology and familiar gameplay. Like Call of Duty or Counter-Strike, it is one of the great first-person shooters. In the single-player campaign, players experience a war story in the year 2027 and fight as an elite unit against a private military organization.
In multiplayer mode, the focus is on large online team battles where tactical teamwork is important. Battlefield Portal also sees the return of a creative community tool that allows players to design and share their own game modes and experiences.
Battlefield 6 is aimed at players who like tactical shooters and team play. The game offers large maps, lots of action, vehicles and explosions – this is exciting and creates suspense. The mixture of combat, teamwork and planning is what makes the game so appealing and keeps many young people playing for a long time.
At the same time, the game is a social meeting place: young people play online with friends or meet new people. Playing as a team and pursuing common goals conveys a sense of community. Leaderboards, progress and rewards provide additional motivation: young people can constantly improve, master challenges and show their progress.
Battlefield 6 is played from a first-person perspective, players see the game world directly through the eyes of their character – including the weapon. War and violence are clearly the focus, which is why the game has been given a USK 18 rating due to its drastic depictions of violence. In single-player mode, violence is visibly staged as part of the war story; in multiplayer mode, it is primarily part of the game mechanics and tactics (e.g. battles, explosions, vehicle combat). Here, violence serves less of a narrative and more of a competition between teams. There is no ethical evaluation of war or violence in the game.
In-game purchases also play a major role in Battlefield 6. Advertisements for additional purchases or cosmetic content are often displayed to players, which can create pressure to spend real money.
Especially in multiplayer modes, in-game communication is essential in order to chat or talk to other players. This promotes successful cooperation – but can sometimes lead to communication risks such as cyberbullying, hate speech and cybergrooming.
The provider Electronic Arts (EA) sets out the following rules, among others, in its terms of use:
The detailed terms of use, privacy policy and terms and conditions for Battlefield 6 are available on the EA website.
As a parent, pay attention to the USK age rating from 18 years and talk to your child about why this rating is important. The game shows theaters of war and battles very realistically with visual effects such as blood, wounds, explosions and battles. The violence is explicitly visible, not abstracted or highly stylized – and this is a key reason for this age rating. Furthermore, war is at the heart of the entire game. Players control soldiers, use real weapons and find themselves in conflict situations in which characters are killed. Due to the high immersiveness (i.e. the strong feeling of being in the middle of the action), players are very intensively involved, which requires a certain level of maturity. Activate the parental control settings on your child’s devices. This will prevent your child from downloading the game unsupervised.
If your child is playing the game because they are already of age or you consider them to be sufficiently mature, accompany them:
Build your own worlds from building blocks, slip into imaginative roles and complete exciting missions – the online gaming platform Robloxer is very popular with young people. Roblox combines elements of gaming, social media and creative design. As it contains both chat functions and problematic content and some people earn money with their games, an age rating of 16 and above has been in place since January 2025.
Roblox is an online gaming platform and game development system that allows users to create their own games and play the games of others. The two words Robots and Blocks together make up the name of the Roblox gaming platform. Here you can create and play virtual worlds in Lego style, which is particularly popular with young people. Roblox is a mixture of game world and social network and is reminiscent of Minecraft.
Roblox is available on many different devices and as an app. Playing with a virtual reality headset is also supported. This cross-platform availability ensures that players can easily play together on different devices.
After registering on roblox.com, players receive a pre-made game character (avatar) that they can customize as they wish. Standard clothing or other cosmetic features, such as a first hairstyle, are free of charge. Some extra accessories cost money in the form of their own currency Robux. Functions such as creating and playing games are available free of charge.
Many young people love the game because they can easily develop their own games. Registered users can use the “Roblox Studio” building tool to create their own games and share them with others. Simple structures as well as complex worlds of experience can be created. In the Roblox community, young people can let off steam creatively and communicate with each other.
Roblox is particularly popular with young game developers, as they can create and publish their own games there. If a game is played frequently by other users and money is invested, there is a chance that the developers – your child, for example – will also earn a share.
Even young people who don’t want to get into game development themselves are fascinated by the countless games on offer.
In January 2025, the Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body(USK) raised the age rating for Roblox from 12 to 16 years. There were several key reasons for this decision:
In addition, the platform allows users to communicate via text and voice chats. There are therefore risks such as cyberbullying, cybergrooming and hate speech. Furthermore, some games contain elements that are similar to gambling, such as the purchase of random virtual items(loot boxes).
In addition, the USK criticized the lack of effective precautionary measures on the part of platform operators, such as insufficiently secured children’s accounts and the lack of age labels in accordance with German standards. Due to these aspects, the USK age rating was adjusted to ensure the protection of minors and provide parents with better guidance.
In addition, Roblox is repeatedly accused of not sufficiently moderating both the content and communication between users and of not taking consistent enough action against violations of the community guidelines. For example, children and young people can come across discriminatory and extremist content in the games.
The provider Roblox Corporation emphasizes on its platform that it takes security and data protection very seriously. There is a reporting system for inappropriate chat messages and a chat filter. After registration, an account is automatically created in “data protection mode” for users under the age of 13. Younger players will then not have access to the social media functions, for example. Some games are also only released from a certain age. Moderators check whether uploaded image and video material meets the requirements for youth-friendly content. Inappropriate content is actively filtered and deleted.
Roblox introduced several new features in early 2026 to make communication safer for young players. One of these is age verification: users can confirm their age either with an ID or via a voluntary, AI-supported age assessment using a video selfie. Certain communication functions are only activated after this classification. Roblox divides accounts into age groups so that children and young people can interact with their peers as much as possible: Under 9, 9 – 12, 13 – 15, 16 – 17, 18 – 20 and over 21. Content, chats and functions are then assigned according to age. Many interaction options remain restricted in order to limit contact between adults and minors and reduce communication risks. The AI-supported age verification on Roblox is handled by the company Persona. Roblox states that user data is deleted after 30 days. Incorrect estimates can be corrected retrospectively via parental supervision or ID verification. Roblox provides information about age verification on its website.
For older teenagers, there is also the concept of “trusted connections“. This allows 13 to 17-year-olds to mark certain contacts as trustworthy. They can chat with these contacts with almost no restrictions. However, contacts across age boundaries – especially between young people and adults – are still subject to strict rules. Children under the age of 13 cannot create “trusted connections”. More information can be found on the Roblox website.
Roblox offers various safety features that allow you to keep a better eye on your child’s play, e.g. screen time, chats or purchases. Parental control has been expanded in 2026. Parents can now see,
Roblox can also issue warnings in the event of unusually high expenditure. These functions supplement the existing parental control settings and are intended to create more transparency. Parents can find out more about parental controls and parental controls on the Roblox website.
Please note that Roblox is now labeled USK 16. In principle, the state does not use age ratings to dictate what media content parents can allow their children to watch at home, but rather as a guide. Nevertheless, you should make sure that you only provide your child with games that are suitable and approved for their age. You can find out more about upgrading in this parent check-in article.
Would you like to make Roblox accessible to your child?
You can also find all the important steps for parental controls at Roblox on medien-kindersicher.de.
Listen to books, play games with sound, create your own recordings. There are now various audio pens that can do this – from TipToi to TING and BOOKii to Anybook. It is impossible to imagine many children’s rooms without these pens. The Tellimero is a particularly open-ended product.
Tellimero is published by Pädagogik-Verlag Betzold, a traditional provider of educational and learning materials. The idea behind the pen is to create a flexible tool that is not tied to specific books or products.
Instead, the pen works with stickers: the pack contains a whole stack of different sticker sheets with colorful dots, animals, instruments and symbols. Some motif stickers already contain noises, such as animal sounds, melodies or other sounds. The 200 or so single-colored dots can be played with as desired.
The stickers are not intended for decorating, but instead make the pen “talk”. If you touch a sticker in recording mode, sound can be recorded – up to five minutes per sticker. This sound is played back in playback mode. This allows you to record books, add sound to objects or record tasks acoustically.
The pen itself is clearly laid out and has three buttons: on/off, record and playback. If you use several Tellimero pens, existing recordings can be copied to other pens via a PC. Finished audio files can also be loaded onto the Tellimero.
The Tellimero is doubly exciting for children: they can listen and be creative at the same time. If adults prepare materials –
At the same time, children can get creative themselves: record their own stories, set riddles to music or use the pen for learning. The operation of the three buttons is so intuitive and simple that the pen really can be used without any problems from the age of 4.
The great creative freedom also brings challenges. Children can’t just be given a pen and a book and be kept busy – preparatory work is required. Stickers have to be distributed, recordings made and content prepared.
If you want to use Tellimero for language learning, for example, you can’t use ready-made products, but have to record books or materials yourself.
As the stickers can be replayed, there is also a risk that children will overwrite stickers that have already been discussed. To avoid this, the so-called “teacher mode” should be used when recording.
As with all audio pens, parents are the “human recharging service”. An empty battery at the crucial moment is one of the most common points of frustration.
According to the publisher, the Tellimero is primarily intended as an educational tool. It is often used in nurseries and schools, for example for language development, station learning or orientation aids. Teachers can, for example, add suitable audio content to a phonics table, a globe or station training. The pen has received several awards for this, including the Comenius EduMedia seal and the Worlddidac Award.
Tellimero is also suitable for private use, whether for creative “fun uses” or for learning and everyday tasks. However, parents should be aware that there are no ready-made materials and the content must be designed entirely by themselves.
Tellimero is a good alternative for families who not only want to listen, but also get creative themselves. Young and old can work together to develop funny, helpful or educational content for the stickers – and they can do it again and again.
Want to quickly watch a children’s series, a movie for the evening or the important soccer match? It’s all on Joyn. Joyn is a streaming platform like
Joyn is the German middle ground between traditional television and major streaming services. The service can be accessed via smartphone, tablet, PC or smart TV, via app or in the browser. Children and young people can find current TV shows, their
Joyn is particularly attractive for children and young people because the basic version is free of charge and can sometimes even be used without logging in. Many freely available live TV contents can be accessed directly in the browser. For additional functions – such as personalized recommendations or saving watchlists – registration with an email address is required.
If parents don’t want to or can’t subscribe to their own streaming service, Joyn is still easily accessible. The platform offers many shows and series that are currently being talked about in the school playground, including Big Brother, The Masked Singer and Germany’s Next Top Model.
Particularly appealing for young fans of the programs: Joyn offers opportunities to actively participate in the app. For example, viewers can vote on who advances to the next round in a show, take part in quiz formats or take part in competitions. This reinforces the feeling of being right in the middle of the action and motivates viewers to tune in regularly.
Anyone using Joyn will initially only be shown content that is approved for under 16s. The account must be verified with an ID number for everything that is approved from 16 or 18. However, this age verification does not offer complete protection. Parents can create a profile and secure it with a parental control PIN so that children can only play content that has been approved for ages 0, 6 or 12.
Important to know: Content that cannot be played remains visible. Preview images, titles or short descriptions can arouse children’s curiosity or draw their attention to topics that are
Joyn emphasizes that the protection of minors is an essential part of the platform and that all legal requirements are complied with. The parental control PIN cannot simply be deactivated and the provider provides detailed instructions on how to set up profiles for children. Age verification is carried out in compliance with data protection regulations and the data is only stored temporarily
Make clear agreements with your child about what can and cannot be watched. If possible, use the offer together – especially with younger children. Actively accompany your child, talk about the content and whether something may cause anxiety or unpleasant feelings. Set up a profile with a parental control PIN if your child is too young to view content from the age of 16 or 18. Make sure that content with a parental rating of 0, 6 and 12 years remains accessible to everyone. Talk to your child regularly about what
WhatsApp is the most popular messenger, even among children and young people. Almost everyone uses it to send messages, make calls or share status updates. It is important for parents to know the functions, risks and developments, especially since AI functions have been integrated into the app.
WhatsApp is a free messenger that is registered via the cell phone number. Contacts must be shared in the address book on the smartphone so that messages, photos, videos,
Self-deleting messages that disappear after seven days and photos or videos that can only be viewed once are particularly practical. Chats can be locked with a code or fingerprint. Group administrators can delete messages from others, making it easier to moderate content.
The search function helps you to quickly find specific messages, links or media across all chats. This makes Messenger easier to use, but can also tempt you to bring up old conversations or private content that was actually forgotten.
Since the integration of Meta AI, an AI has been supporting users in formulating messages, summarizing long chats and suggesting emojis or answers. It can also answer questions, similar to a chatbot. The use of these functions is optional; users decide for themselves whether they want to use them. Channels on which
WhatsApp is quick, easy and always available. Young people use it to stay in touch, discuss homework or simply to belong. They share impressions of their everyday lives via status messages and profile pictures, similar to Instagram.
The new channels make WhatsApp even more attractive. Young people follow influencers there and receive trends, challenges and tips directly in the app. Having your own channels encourages creativity and organization, but can also increase the desire for reach or recognition.
The AI functions are also fascinating: An automatic writing assistant that suggests texts saves time and seems practical. However, young people should understand that this AI is not a neutral conversation partner, but learns from their input.
The read confirmation (“blue checkmark”) can create pressure to reply immediately. Large groups, such as
Another risk is data processing by Meta. WhatsApp collects a lot of information: Contacts, profile and location data, device and usage information. This can be used for personalized advertising or to train the AI.
The integration of meta AI brings additional challenges. Many users do not know what data the AI processes or stores. Emotional bonds can also develop with chatbots, especially when children talk about personal topics. Such conversations often seem human, but they are not.
Influencer channels can show content that is unsuitable for children. Advertising, idealization and one-sided portrayals are common, often without clear labeling.
WhatsApp belongs to the Meta Group. The provider emphasizes that chats are end-to-end
According to the provider, Meta AI should make it easier to use and deliver personalized results. At the same time, this means that the AI learns from the user’s data. Parents can check whether the AI functions are active in the settings. On some devices, this is only visible to users under 18. Use can be restricted or rejected if the device and app allow it.
Children under the age of 16 may only use WhatsApp with parental consent. Talk together about responsible use: What information can be shared? Who is allowed to see messages?
Discuss risks such as bullying, inappropriate or dangerous content (e.g. pornographic material), “fake news” or emotional attachments to AI chatbots. Encourage your child to get help if they have unpleasant experiences.
Set the data protection settings together. Pay attention to your child’s privacy and give them the freedom they need. The privacy check (Settings ” Privacy ” Privacy check) shows at a glance which settings are active and who is allowed to see what. You can find step-by-step instructions at www.medien-kindersicher.de.
Your child should only allow contacts that they know in real life. Discuss the responsible use of your own channels and influencer content. Be a role model for respectful communication yourself.
Explain that AI answers are not always correct and do not replace real conversations. Keep the conversation going and show interest in your child’s digital world – without mistrust, but with awareness.
If you are looking for messengers with stronger data protection, you can use signal, Threema or NYZZU to avoid them.
Who is allowed to do what with media and for how long? These issues come up in every family sooner or later and not infrequently cause stress and arguments. Rules on media use can help create a structure and avoid conflicts. These can be discussed by parents and children together and recorded in a contract. The online tool for a media usage contract presented here — an offer by klicksafe and the Internet-ABC — is suitable for this purpose.
The tool guides you step by step to the finished paper. You can choose from two age groups (6-12 years and 12+) and choose a title design, a mascot and a background. All the rules you select are automatically inserted like building blocks, so it’s easy to keep track of them all. Each module can be edited individually. Of course, you can also insert your own rules. At the end save the document, then it can be completed at another time. You can also create multiple contracts for different children.
Use the building blocks as a suggestion to start a conversation in your family about media use. Some possible rules you may not have thought about, others are already self-evident. Set priorities, because the tool offers very many ideas that do not all have to be implemented. There are several types of rules:
A contract is nothing more than written down rules that have been agreed upon. The advantage is that you can always look at it and remember it.
A special feature is that rules can also be set for parents. For example, parents can commit to not using the cell phone even at dinner, or to using adult media content only when children are not present. Because rules are easier for children to understand if everyone has to follow them and you set a good example.
