Helping children recognise the difference between safe surprises and unsafe secrets is the main aim here, with clear picture cards that support safeguarding conversations in a calm, child-friendly way. It is well suited to primary-aged children, especially in PSHE, pastoral support, counselling, therapy or family work.
Cut-out cards give adults a practical way to start conversations about secrets, surprises, bullying, online safety and when to ask for help. Each card shows a simple illustrated scenario with a short caption, making it accessible for younger children, kids with additional needs, and pupils who benefit from visual prompts.
The pack includes 32 sorting cards covering safe surprises such as a birthday present, a party, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day gifts, hiding Easter eggs, baking a cake, welcoming a new child and making a get-well card. These examples help children see that some hidden information is temporary, kind and later shared.
Other cards focus on unsafe or worrying situations, including name-calling, exclusion, bullying, someone taking belongings, being told not to tell about bullying, and dares to steal or lie. Several cards deal with online safety, such as someone asking for a photo, asking where you live, wanting to meet, or saying, “Don’t tell your parents”.
Safeguarding themes are clearly included through scenarios where an adult gives secret gifts, asks a child to keep spending time together secret, says nobody will believe them, asks them to break rules, or threatens trouble or harm if they tell. These cards can support work around safe adults, trusted people and speaking up.
Practitioners, teachers, school counsellors, social workers and parents could use the cards for sorting activities, discussion games, one-to-one sessions or small group work. Children can place cards into categories such as safe surprise, unsafe secret, tell an adult, or get help now, then talk through their reasoning at their own pace.
