How Can We Help?
AI for for children up to about 13 years old
Pedagogical recommendations
- Children can explore early programming skills by moving a simple robot (e.g. bee bot or blue bot) across a mat with printed images. For instance, on a mat with animal pictures, they might programme the Bee-Bot to travel from the pig to the pond, explaining each step. This develops spatial awareness, planning, and storytelling.
- Focus on hands-on coding education using platforms like Code.org or Scratch, especially in the early years (ages 7 to 11).
2. Introduce generative AI gradually. It shouldn’t replace learning but can be a helpful tool when used the right way. For example, it can be used to explain mistakes in code, come up with creative ideas for projects, and open up discussions about its limits and ethical issues like bias, misinformation or plagiarism.
3. Teach children to use AI wisely. Encourage them to think for themselves and see AI as a way to support their thinking, not do it for them.
Instead of simply copying and pasting what the AI says, guide them to work alongside it and build their own understanding.
4. Eventually, using generative AI tools (example n Adobe Express or Canva), can offer starting points that help students overcome blank-page anxiety. By seeing options generated for them, students are inspired to add their own ideas, images, and text.
5. Children can use AI to generate a first draft, then evaluate and edit, encouraging critical thinking and improvement over time.
6. Allow students to use AI-generated layouts or text as a base, but encourage them to make it their own.
7. Help students recognise that AI can make errors and should be used with a critical eye.
8. Establish clear rules for when and how AI tools should be used during schoolwork.
9. Ask students to explain how they used AI in their work and what they learnt in the process.
Laying the Foundations for AI thinking (using a floor robot and mat)
- Choose a theme, for example: “Animals”, “The Farm” or “My Town”.
2. Print or draw pictures such as a cow, barn, shop, pond, tree, etc. Place one image in each square on the mat.
3. Set a task for the children. “Can you programme the robot to go from the cow to the pond?”; “Visit the shop, then the school, and finally the house.”
4. Allow children to programme the robot. Children use the buttons on the Bee-Bot (forwards, backwards, turn left, turn right) to direct it across the mat. If it goes wrong, they can try again and improve their sequence.
5. Encourage reflection by asking questions like
- “What instructions did you give the robot?”
- “What went wrong? How can you fix it?”
- “Why did you choose that route?”
Creative and Generative AI (Ethical Use Encouraged)
Build and Use Prompts Together
Ask students to describe a scene by answering simple questions: Where is it? What time of day is it? Who or what is there? What’s the mood? What style (e.g. cartoon or realistic)? Help them turn answers into full sentences, like:
“A peaceful garden with benches, colourful flowers, and butterflies in the morning light.”
Have students write their own prompts, then read some aloud and discuss how to improve them.
You may write these prompts also using the interactive flat panel.
Use Adobe Firefly (https://firefly.adobe.com/) to generate a few images together.
Afterwards, reflect: Did it match your idea? Students can write stories or explore how small prompt changes affect the image
The focus should be always on Prompt engineering. Young students may or may not generate the image themselves.
Administrative recommendations
- Use Single Sign-On (SSO)
Use platforms that allow students to log in with their school accounts to simplify access and improve security. Schools should also review the tool’s privacy policy and ensure it aligns with the GDPR before enabling single sign-on. - Choose Age-Appropriate Tools
Select tools that are designed specifically for children and they cannot generate adult content. - Check Privacy Settings and Permissions
Ensure that the platforms do not collect unnecessary data and are used through school-managed accounts when possible.