On the HanisauLand.de internet portal, children between the ages of 8 and 14 are introduced to the world of politics in an age-appropriate and playful way. They can share and discuss their opinions in a moderated participation area.
There is a lot for children to discover in HanisauLand and they also learn about democracy through play: In the comic series, rabbits, hippos and sows build a democracy together – HanisauLand. There are lots of games and quizzes as well as book and movie tips for children to browse through. In the “Calendar” section, important political and historical events are presented alongside famous personalities. In the “Special” section, topics from politics, history, togetherness and religions are taken up and presented in a vivid way.
Children can also participate in many areas and help shape HanisauLand: In the lexicon, not only are political terms explained for children, but children can also submit unknown terms and questions. In the “Your opinion” section, children can discuss children’s rights topics such as “cell phone ban in schools” or “voting rights for young people”. They receive background information and are then invited to contribute their opinions and discuss them together. They can also contact the editorial team with their concerns and questions under “Post”.
No e-mail address is required to participate, a fantasy name is sufficient. All contributions will be checked by the editorial team before publication, personal data or insults and abuse will be deleted.
HanisauLand is a great way for children to learn more about living together in a democracy and about rules on the Internet. Even the legal notice and privacy policy are formulated in a special version for children.
The editors of HanisauLand create and check all content for children aged 8 to 14. If links from the website lead to other pages, children are made aware of this and must confirm once again that they wish to leave the website. Nevertheless, it is important, especially with younger children, that you accompany your child, particularly when using the site for the first time. Make sure that your child can only access age-appropriate content. Setting options on the device or in apps also help here. Also make sure that the agreed media usage times with your child are adhered to and stay in contact with your child.
This article is part of the “Parents’ tips on children’s participation platforms” project, which is part of the “Child-friendly digital services and orientation measures” program of the Federal Agency for Child and Youth Protection in the Media (BzKJ) and realised by JFF – Institute for Media Education in Research and Practice and the German Association for Voluntary Self-Regulation of Digital Media Service Providers (FSM e.V.).