Age 3 - “Can I have a go on the phone?”

Cool with...

Not cool with...

Closing games on the iPhone and opening another one

Knows to turn the phone the right way once it’s started

Playing simple games on the phone that don’t need precise gestures or accuracy like colouring or pairs games with large target areas

Clicking links that have pictures he likes after watching a YouTube video

Understands simple audio instructions and feedback when he does something right

Learning icons that have sound to navigate

Reading and writing.

Using a mouse and keyboard. He clicks repetitively sometimes pressing the wrong buttons, accidental right clicking, inaccurately clicking outside the browser window, clicking and holding

Getting to the right TV channel

Using the iPhone alone.Mum & Dad don’t like him walking around with it and he sometimes needs help.

Finding things to do online.Parents have to take him to videos or songs Games without obvious visual and audio cues in menus

Charlie’s 3 and loves arts & crafts, comics and playing with his toys. After breakfast Mum puts CBeebies on the TV in the front room until it’s time for nursery. He happily sits and watches whatever’s on, even if he’s seen it. He copies mum using the remote control and can turn the TV on and off.

Charlie is always using Dad’s iPhone where he has his own folder called ‘Charlie’s Games’ with a few apps like Peppa Pig & Crayola that were recommended to dad or found by searching for ‘free kids games’. After downloading, Dad checks games are suitable and often shows Charlie how to play on the first go. He hands the phone to Charlie with the folder open so he can choose what he likes. He enjoys repeating the same things over and over again never asking or seeking out anything new.

When Dad’s at work Mum sometimes puts the laptop on and they sit together browsing the CBeebies website to find the things he loves to watch or listen to.He leans across and touches the things on the screen he likes and recognises from TV shows and books. He copies mum using the mouse and presses the keys that mum points out, sometimes repetitively clicking, or pressing the wrong buttons.

Family laptop

Needs help with games

& interactive stu�.

Doesn’texplore or seek

out other things

Wants and expects thingsto be instant

Relies on memory and

visual & audio cues to guide

him

Can be left alone to watch or

listen.

Recognises& points out

characters and brands he’s seen

on TV

LeapPad Sky TV DVD Player iPhone

Age 5 - “I love taking pictures!”

Cool with...

Not cool with...

Nintendo DS Family iPad Mum’s iPhone Freeview TV with a Wii

Virgin Tivo TV with Net�ix

Family laptop

Recognising and typing familiar letters and words, like her name

Remembering TV cues to get to online content like URLs, but needs help getting there

Navigating to websites from browser favourites or shortcuts set up by her parents

Using two fingers on a laptop touchpad and can click and scroll pages

Playing linear games on the laptop that use singlecontrols

Touchscreen gestures like tilt, swipe and tap. Playing two-handed using fingers or thumbs

Anything that needs her to type

Finding her own way out of unfamiliar menus and screens

Accurately hitting targets first time on touchscreen

Games that rely on her to read text instructions

Games that need combinations controls like mouse and keyboard

Uses technology on

her own or with brother

Plays things again or goes for

links to things she likes the

look of

Has started scrolling but

goes for things directly in view

�rstNeeds

help when she can’t read something

Knowswhat she likes and bypasses

anythingbabyish

Ella’s 5 and has an older brother Ethan who’s 7. They have some freedom to do what they like. Ella loves watching cartoons on TV. She remembers the number for the TV channel she likes entering this to go directly there then scrolls up and down through them all using the directional keys until she find something she likes.

If she manages to get hold of the family iPad before Ethan she’ll sit on the floor start up and play Temple Run that she learnt to startup and play by copying Ethan. They’ll sometimes both sit play games they can do together like Toca Boca Hair.

They both love taking videos and photos so Mum regularly needs to look through when they’ve gone to bed and delete things so they don’t run out of space. When Ethan’s hogging the iPad Ella finds Mum’s iPhone to play games on her own like Peppa Pig. She looks for her favourite things remembering how to find them after being shown once but regularly gets stuck and needs to ask for help.

She uses the Nintendo DS that used to be Ethan’s but doesn’t like it because it has too many buttons and she can’t remember what they all do.

Seeks outstu� related to

her favourite characters and

shows

Age 7 - “I like the games on the CBBC website.”

Cool with...

Not cool with...

Reading familiar stories, sounding out new words as well as using punctuation & capitals

Remembering the routes to content through visual cues like where icons are on a page

Picking out key words in google search and games rather than reading.

Browsing the app store, but has to ask dadto download

Exploring websites and apps on her own, asking for help when she needs it

Using the mouse or trackpad and keyboard together to play games

Understanding sign in or registering

Reading text when navigating websites and apps

Using the mouse and keyboard comfortably together but takes some time to get used to new games

Fast-paced games, especially on the laptop

Olivia’s 7 and has a little brother George who’s nearly 3. Her favourite things are her dolls and books. She doesn’t spend much time with technology as her parent’s try to limit her ‘screen time’. After school she goes to beavers, dancing or watches CBBC or Disney channel on the TV in the living room. She likes watching Arthurand Shaun the Sheep but needs help to get to the iPlayer app on the TV. She thinks it looks too grown up. Once she’s there she uses the remote control and searches by typing in the first couple of letters of the shows she likes quickly.

She used to get up early to watch CBeebies or Disney before school with George. Recently she’s started asking Dad to use his iPhone instead which she uses to play a few educational games recommended from school that Dad downloaded and put into a folder called ‘Kid’s games’. She also likes watching her favourite books beingread on YouTube app. If she’s naughty she’s banned from using the iPhone but if she’s good Dad will let her have another app.

Her parents sometimes let her use the family laptop to look at things she’s learning about at school and when allowed she likes going on the internet to play simple games that she’s mastered like Mike the Knight pairs game on CBeebies and Club Penguin.

Quickly asks for help when

struggling.

Gets turnedo� by anything that looks too

grown up

Sometimesneeds help with

spelling when searching in

Google oriPlayer

Finds ithard to get into

games where she doesn’t understand

the controlsstraight away

Still relieson visual and audio cues to

�nd things Started to use search for things

she likes

Dad’s iPhoneFamily laptopConnected TV

Age 9 - “I’m obsessed with this game, all my friends are on it!”

Ben does...

Ben doesn’t...

Browse the app store, choosing games based on screenshots and reviews.

Set up and play online Multiplayer games.

Confidently navigate unfamiliar menu systems and programme guides

Search and browse for both shows and channels using TV on demand

Use Google to search for the website or game he’s looking for

Download lots of free apps, leaves them unsorted, & only deletes when out of space

Repeat play levels to collect trophies orachievements, unless he’s really into the game.

Register on websites without a clear benefit.

Remember multiple website login details easily, gives up easily trying to recover them.

Know the pin for the Tivo so has to ask Mumor Dad.

Have his own email address so has to usehis Dad’s. He has to ask if he wants a paid app.

Takes the quickest route to f ind things

Open to signing in if he sees a bene�t but won’t seek

it out

Isn’t overwhelmed by

having lots of choice of di�erent

games & apps

Inf luencedby school

friends & his older brother

Impatientif he hits a

barrier & will move on

Ben’s 9 and has an older brother Kevin who’s 13. He likes playing computer games and sometimes plays football with his friends. He’s very confident using technology and isn’t afraid to explore new things. He’s got an iPod Touch, but it’s been gathering dust since he’s obsessed with his new Nexus tablet. He spends most of his time sat on the sofa in the front room with the TV on playing Minecraft. He watches endless Minecraft tutorials and clips on YouTube and likes to connect to play with it with his friends over the wifi when they come over.

When not on Minecraft he’s either browsing the app store for free apps or flicking between the latest ones he’s downloaded. He also recently got into playing Call of Duty on the PS3 with Kevin in his room. He’s downloaded loads of free apps that he flicks between.

He only uses the computer for school projects using google to search for specific things taking the quickest route. After finishing his homework he sometimes goes directly to Friv to play the games he used to love playing that he can’t get on his tablet.

Goes backto the same

game if he feels he’s progressing

& likes getting to the end

Nexus Tablet iPod Touch Desktop PC Virgin TV PS3

Zoe does...

Zoe doesn’t...

Laptop iPhone Family tablet Sky family TVNintendo Wii Freeview TV

Download and use a handful of apps recommended by friends or her sister

Play a few games on her phone she can easily dip in and out of.

Browse the app store, looking at the top charts and reviews / ratings

Register for new services using her own email address if the benefits are clear

Watches on demand TV shows on the laptop as it has a bigger screen

Play games online that her friends don’t play anymore like Moshi Monsters andClub Penguin

Arrange specific times to meet friends online to play together

Spend as much time as she used to playing games on the internet

Ask her sister, parents or friends for help if she gets stuck.

Con�dent with all

technology

Has her own email address

but not Facebook

Prefer appsto websites for

social networking and games

Keepsin touch with

friends through social apps &

Skype

Uses a small number of

trusted appsand casual

games

Zoe’s just turned 11 and about to start secondary school. She has an older sister who’s 15 called Jess. She likes swimming, meeting up with friends and watching reality TV like Big Brother but still watches teen dramas like Tracy Beaker on CBBC. She LOVES the iPhone her parents got her for Christmas, preferring it over the family tablet because it’s hers.

Only really using apps, she’s meticulously organised them into folders on her phone for quick access, deleting those she’s not used for a while. Regularly checking Twitter, Instagram, Whatsapp, Kik and Snapchat keeping up with her friends and latest celeb and music gossip as well as searching YouTube for “how to” videos for different hairstyles and make she chooses those to watch that have the highest ratings or views. She has her own gmail email address and is desperate to get on Facebook but her parents won’t let her yet.

She has her own laptop in her room, using Office and Chrome for homework, typing in full addresses of the websites she uses or search in Google - it’s easier to type on the laptop than on her phone. Once the laptop is on she might check Skype and see if any of her friends are online and then sit back on her bed and watching TV shows on demand because she only has Freeview on her TV.

Seeks out grown up

content and TV shows

Age 11 - “I only download apps my friends have.”