Last Updated: Tuesday, September 30, 2025
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Start with one tool per need Don't overwhelm yourself or your kids with 50 new apps at once.
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Make it social Use these tools together. Try an "AI art night" with Scribble Diffusion and vote on favorites.
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Teach critical thinking Ask: "Does that make sense?" "How could we check it?" "What might the AI be missing?"
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Set boundaries early Agree on when AI help is appropriate vs. when it becomes doing the work for them.
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Celebrate creativity over perfection Use AI as a springboard for ideas, not to chase flawless output.
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Join them Explore together so kids can teach you and you understand tools better.
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| Resource | Description & benefits | Link | AI tools & features | Guides/Tutorials | User instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common Sense Media: AI Literacy Toolkit for Families | Common Sense Media and Day of AI created a free toolkit to help parents introduce AI concepts to young children. It contains a short video explaining what AI is, interactive activities and conversation cards for family discussions The toolkit is available in multiple languages (English, Spanish, Arabic and Mandarin) | https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/ai-literacy-toolkit-for-families | Common Sense Media and Day of AI created a free toolkit to help parents introduce AI concepts to young children. It contains a short video explaining what AI is, interactive activities and conversation cards for family discussions. | Family activity guide (English and translations) and implementation guide for schools | Watch the video with your child, then use the conversation cards to discuss what AI does and where it appears in daily life. Complete the suggested family activities to reinforce concepts. |
| Khan Academy’s Khanmigo | Khanmigo is a personalised, AI‑powered tutor integrated into Khan Academy’s platform. It can provide step‑by‑step math explanations, reading support and writing feedback while monitoring for inappropriate content. Khanmigo complies with children’s privacy laws and offers parental controls. | https://www.khanmigo.ai/ | AI tutor that adapts to a child’s skill level; built‑in content monitoring and parental controls | Khan Academy provides tutorials and sample prompts when families sign up. | Create a parent account, explore Khanmigo’s math and reading exercises with your child, and enable privacy settings. Encourage your child to ask questions and check the AI’s explanations together. |
| Duolingo ABC | Duolingo’s free reading app for ages 3‑7 uses AI‑driven voice recognition and adaptive exercises to teach phonics and vocabulary. It offers offline capability and contains no social features. | https://www.duolingo.com/ | Duolingo’s free reading app for ages 3‑7 uses AI‑driven voice recognition and adaptive exercises to teach phonics and vocabulary. It offers offline capability and contains no social features | In‑app tutorial explains how to navigate lessons and monitor progress. | Download the app and select your child’s reading level. Sit with them during early sessions and review new words. Use the progress reports to identify areas needing more practice. |
| Prodigy Math | A game‑based platform that adapts math questions to each learner’s level. Prodigy complies with COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) and offers parental dashboards to track progress. | https://www.prodigygame.com/ | A game‑based platform that adapts math questions to each learner’s level. Prodigy complies with COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) and offers parental dashboards to track progress | Help center articles on setting up parent and child accounts. | Sign up for a free parent account, create a profile for your child and let them play the math quests. Use the dashboard to monitor their strengths and weaknesses. |
| UNICEF AI Guide for Parents (PDF) | **Parents (PDF)**UNICEF’s guide explains what AI is and how it collects and uses data. It outlines benefits (e.g., robots performing repetitive or dangerous tasks, AI for education and health) and risks such as bias, safety issues and profiling. It provides practical tips: learn AI basics, think critically about data use, teach children about opportunities and risks, ask schools how they use AI and find organisations advocating for responsible AI | ‣ | UNICEF’s guide explains what AI is and how it collects and uses data. It outlines benefits (e.g., robots performing repetitive or dangerous tasks, AI for education and health) and risks such as bias, safety issues and profiling | The PDF includes a “What you can do” section with bullet‑point actions | Read the guide together and discuss examples of AI your child encounters (voice assistants, recommendation feeds). Use the action points to set family rules about sharing data and to ask your child’s school about AI use. |
| UNICEF Digital Literacy for Children | This UNICEF explainer lists ten key points about digital literacy. It stresses that digital literacy goes beyond technical know‑how to include skills and attitudes enabling children to be safe and empowered online. It notes that children need to be digitally literate even when they are not online because AI‑based profiling affects their opportunities. | https://www.unicef.org/innocenti/documents/digital-literacy-children-10-things-you-need-know | ConnectSafely offers printable guides on internet safety, parental controls and media literacy. While not AI‑specific, these guides complement AI resources by teaching children to navigate digital spaces responsibly | Article summarizes research; no interactive tutorial. | Read the article to understand why digital literacy matters. Encourage your child to think critically about online content and practice safe behaviours like verifying information and respecting privacy. |
| ConnectSafely Parent & Educator Guides | ConnectSafely offers printable guides on internet safety, parental controls and media literacy. While not AI‑specific, these guides complement AI resources by teaching children to navigate digital spaces responsibly | https://connectsafely.org/ | ConnectSafely offers printable guides on internet safety, parental controls and media literacy. | Each guide includes tips and conversation starters. | Download relevant guides (e.g., Parental Controls) and use them to set up device rules and discuss online behaviour. |
| Resource | Description & benefits | Link | AI tools & features | Guides/Tutorials | User instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common Sense Media: Parents’ Ultimate Guide to Generative AI | This in‑depth article (Sept 17 2024) explains generative AI, common terms (large language models, prompts, deepfakes, hallucinations, bias) and how teens use it for school and social purposes. It discusses concerns—misinformation, privacy, bias, bullying, plagiarism—and benefits such as enhancing creativity and efficiency. The article encourages parents to test AI tools with their children, build critical‑thinking skills and discuss appropriate use | https://www.commonsensemedia.org/articles/parents-ultimate-guide-to-generative-ai | Explains generative‑AI concepts and risks; includes examples of chatbots and image generators. | None (article). | Read the guide with your child. Use its sections on prompts and bias to explore how AI works and why fact‑checking matters. Discuss the suggested questions for teachers and schools. |
| Common Sense Media: Helping Kids Navigate the World of Artificial Intelligence | Helping Kids Navigate the World of Artificial IntelligenceA shorter article (May 15 2023) urging parents to talk with kids about AI’s benefits and risks, try AI tools together, discuss biases, plagiarism and cheating, and ask teachers how AI is being used | https://www.commonsensemedia.org/articles/helping-kids-navigate-the-world-of-artificial-intelligence | General guidance; encourages trying AI tools together. | None (article). | Use this article as a conversation starter. Pick a kid‑friendly AI tool (e.g., story generator) and explore it with your child while highlighting bias and crediting sources. |
| Common Sense Media: Guide to ChatGPT for Parents and Caregivers | This August 30 2023 guide explains what ChatGPT is, where its information comes from and why some schools have banned it. It notes that OpenAI sets a minimum age of 13 and recommends parental supervision. The article suggests conversation prompts about credibility, plagiarism and personal data. | https://www.commonsensemedia.org/articles/guide-to-chatgpt-for-parents-and-caregivers | Focuses on ChatGPT; describes prompts and age restrictions. | None (article). | Read the guide, then create family rules for using ChatGPT (e.g., verify answers, cite sources, avoid sensitive information). Discuss why schools might restrict chatbots and how to use them responsibly. |
| ConnectSafely: Parent and Teen Guide to Generative AI | ConnectSafely’s February 1 2024 guide defines generative AI and explains how LLMs work. It lists personal uses (e.g., vacation planning, homework help) and describes benefits and risks, including misinformation, harassment, bias, privacy and rogue AI sitesconnectsafely.org. The final section urges parents to talk with teens, abide by school policies, use strong passwords and explore AI tools together | https://connectsafely.org/gen-ai-guide/ | Provides examples of reputable tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot | Article includes lists of uses, risks and discussion points. | Read together. Use the listed personal‑use examples to show how generative AI can help with homework or creative projects. Review the risk sections and practice verifying information from AI. Set family rules based on the “Final Thoughts for Parents” section. |
| Google/AI Education Project: “Raising Kids in the Age of AI” podcast and video series | Google partnered with the AI Education Project (AIEd.org) to create a podcast called “Raising Kids in the Age of AI” and a series of videos demonstrating how to use AI features like Google Search’s “Guided Learning” mode for homework. These resources discuss how AI can support creativity and emphasize critical thinking. | https://ai.google/ | Podcast interviews with experts; video tutorials on using Google AI features for study help | Guidance on using Google’s AI products responsibly. | Listen to episodes with your child to understand AI’s benefits and limitations. Try the Guided Learning feature together to solve a homework problem, then fact‑check the results. |
| Experience AI and AI Quests (Google, Raspberry Pi & AIED) | These free courses teach AI fundamentals through short lessons and games. Experience AI offers digital‑literacy lessons for elementary and middle‑school students, while AI Quests is a game‑based program where students solve “quests” to learn AI ethics and concepts. | https://www.afternic.com/forsale/experience.ai?utm_source=TDFS_DASLNC&utm_medium=parkedpages&utm_campaign=x_corp_tdfs-daslnc_base&traffic_type=TDFS_DASLNC&traffic_id=daslnc&oref=https%3A%2F%2Fchatgpt.com%2F | Interactive online lessons and games; introduces machine‑learning concepts and ethical discussions. | Course materials, teacher guides and student workbooks. | Register for the courses and work through the activities with your child. Encourage them to reflect on how AI makes decisions and what bias means. Some activities can be done offline or in groups. |
| 5210.psu.edu: Navigating AI as a Parent – How to Support Your Child’s Digital Well‑being | Penn State’s 2025 article summarises research on AI’s effects on children and offers practical tips. It encourages parents to explore AI tools with their children, set healthy boundaries and screen‑time limits, teach critical thinking, monitor emotional changes and advocate for safer AI practices | https://5210.psu.edu/navigating-ai-as-a-parent-how-to-support-your-childs-digital-well-being | General guidance; emphasises co‑use of AI and emotional monitoring | Article summarises research; no interactive tutorial. | Use the article’s tips to establish screen‑time rules and schedule regular check‑ins. Discuss with your child how AI tools make them feel and whether they notice changes in mood or confidence when using them. |
| Children and Screens: Youth and Generative AI (March 2024) | A research‑based article summarising how many teens and younger children use generative AI and highlighting risks like over‑trusting AI outputs, reinforcing bias (e.g., image generators depicting CEOs as white men), eroding social skills, underdeveloping foundational learning skills and amplifying misinformation. It advises parents to co‑use AI with children, recognise AI’s limitations and use AI to guide learning rather than provide answers | https://www.childrenandscreens.org/learn-explore/research/youth-and-generative-ai-a-guide-for-parents-and-educators/ | Focuses on risks such as bias and over‑reliance on AI | Article summarises research; webinar recording available. | Read the article and discuss the listed risks with your child. Encourage them to question AI outputs and to practise skills (writing, math) without AI assistance. |
| UNICEF: Generative AI – Risks and Opportunities for Children | UNICEF’s 2024 explainer notes that generative AI is rapidly adopted; a US survey found that only 30 % of parents had tried ChatGPT compared with 58 % of children aged 12–18. It highlights opportunities (personalised learning, new ways to play and create, improved accessibility). and warns of risks: persuasive disinformation, deepfakes and harmful content.The article stresses that generative AI tools are embedded in social apps and that children often hide their usage | https://www.unicef.org/innocenti/generative-ai-risks-and-opportunities-children | Explains generative AI adoption statistics and outlines opportunities and risks | None. | Read the explainer to understand how generative AI is shaping your child’s digital environment. Discuss the statistics with your child, highlighting why honest conversation about AI use is important. Emphasise critical thinking when viewing AI‑generated content. |
| Resource | Description & benefits | Link | AI tools & features | Guides/Tutorials | User instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut Children’s Hospital: “AI Is Here to Stay – 4 Things Parents of Teens Should Know” | This 2025 article by pediatric psychologist Dr Preeti Sandhu lists four domains where AI affects teens: education & learning, social media & entertainment, health & well‑being and life milestones & decisions. It notes that AI can personalise learning and assist teens with ADHD or autism but warns about inappropriate content, accuracy issues and over‑reliance. | https://www.connecticutchildrens.org/growing-healthy/ai-here-stay-4-things-parents-teens-should-know | Highlights AI uses in learning, social media, health apps and career planning. | None (article). | Read the article together. Use the pros and cons sections to discuss how your teen uses AI for school, entertainment and health. Ask them about their goals and how AI might support or distract from those aims. |
| Common Sense Media AI Initiatives & Research | Common Sense Media’s AI initiatives page outlines the organisation’s whole‑community approach: researching AI’s impact on children, reviewing AI tools, educating families and advocating for safe AI policies. The page links to professional‑development resources, risk assessments and videos for families. | https://www.commonsensemedia.org/ | Lists AI literacy lessons and professional development; provides articles and videos for parents. | Links to lessons and risk assessment rubrics. | Explore the site for up‑to‑date research and sign up for newsletters. Use the risk assessments to evaluate AI tools your teen wants to use. |
| Google/AI Apps Safe AI Tools List (2025) | An August 2025 article lists safe, COPPA‑compliant AI tools for school use, including Khanmigo (free tutoring), Duolingo ABC (reading for ages 3–7), Prodigy Math, and Grammarly for Education. It recommends looking for compliance with COPPA and FERPA, parental controls, offline features and healthy screen‑time practices | https://www.aiapps.com/blog/safe-ai-tools-for-kids-back-to-school-guide-2025/ | List of AI tools by age group and subject; explains privacy standards and parental controls. | The article includes checklists for privacy, parental controls and healthy screen‑time features | Use the tool list to evaluate AI apps your teen wants to download. Check each platform’s privacy policy and enable parental controls. Balance AI‑assisted learning with offline activities. |
| Khan Academy’s Khanmigo (see Elementary) | Khanmigo’s personalised tutoring extends to high‑school subjects, offering guidance for AP courses and essay feedback. It can explain complex concepts, generate practice problems and suggest study plans. Parents should remind teens to cite sources when using AI‑generated content | https://www.khanacademy.org/khan-labs | Adaptive tutoring; monitors content; AP‑level subjects. | Tutorials and sample prompts. | Encourage your teen to use Khanmigo to review difficult topics or prepare for exams. Discuss academic integrity and proper citation of AI‑assisted work. |
| Grammarly for Education | Grammarly uses AI to provide grammar, clarity and citation suggestions. The education version offers features tailored for high‑school and college writing and is strict about data privacy | https://www.grammarly.com/ | AI‑powered writing assistance; plagiarism detection; style guides | In‑platform tutorials and writing handbooks. | Install the education plugin or ask if the school offers access. Encourage your teen to review Grammarly’s suggestions critically rather than accepting all changes. |
| UNICEF Generative AI – Risks & Opportunities (see Middle) | High‑school students can use this UNICEF article to deepen their understanding of generative AI’s societal impacts, including the risk of persuasive disinformation, deepfakes and synthetic child sexual‑abuse material. | https://www.unicef.org/innocenti/generative-ai-risks-and-opportunities-children | Highlights advanced risks (disinformation campaigns, deepfakes) and career‑related opportunities. | None. | Discuss with your teen how generative AI could influence elections, job markets and social norms. Encourage them to follow trusted news sources and report harmful AI‑generated content. |