Single mum creates game app to help children stay safer online

Launching in December 2014, Gooseberry Planet is a new game app created and funded by a single mum who couldn’t find the kind of tool she was looking for to help her children understand about safety online.

Gooseberry Planet includes a game for children, aged 9-14, plus a parallel parent app that comes free with it. This enables parents to see how their children are progressing in the game and includes tools, tips and ideas for starting conversations about child safety online.

Gooseberry Planet addresses issues including email, stranger danger, webcams and how/why to block people.

Creator Stella James said: “In 2013, I started looking around for ways to help my own children and those of my wider family stay safe online. I could track their activity but I wanted to do more than that – I wanted them to be aware of the dangers in the first place.” Stella was particularly concerned about bullying, as this was something she’d suffered from herself in the school playground.

She continued: “I was getting frustrated because I couldn’t find the kind of tool I had in my mind. There was only one solution: to come up with one.” Stella sat down one night last September, started scribbling on a scrap of paper – and Gooseberry Planet was born. She has funded it herself because she believes so passionately in its ability to help with child safety online. Stella said: “If I can help add to children’s safety online, I will have achieved my mission.”

Gooseberry Planet will be available through the app store and also through the gooseberryplanet.com website, for $0.69 for level 1 (Gooseberry Street) and £3.99 for all four levels, including the parent app. It will be suitable for downloading to pcs, tablets and phones. There are no additional in-game purchases.

Download the Gooseberry Educational Fun Game App today:

Android: play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.clicklabs.gooseberrychild
ITune: itunes.apple.com/gb/app/gooseberry/id915297115