Children know how to use a screen, but are they learning to create? How to build AI and cybersecurity skills

Your daughter shows you a new game on the computer. This time, ask another question: what did she change in it herself? If she can explain how the character moves, why she changed a rule and what still does not work, you have the start of a conversation about learning. Even if the game is small, and even if it is far from perfect.

Parents who want to help their children develop digital skills have a practical starting point: choose a small task that interests them, give them room to experiment and ask them to explain the process. A course can provide structure and feedback, but you can begin at home. What matters is what a child learns to do and understand, rather than how early they enroll in a program with an impressive name.

The important gap is between using a tool and understanding it

In a survey report by Israel's National Child Online Protection Bureau 105 and the Office of the Chief Scientist at the Ministry of National Security, dated December 2025, 86% of respondents aged 12 to 17 reported using AI tools. In the same survey, 52% said they had received guidance on proper and safe use at school, in another setting or within their family. These were participants' reports, not a test of their abilities.

The difference between those figures shows why it is not enough to ask whether a child already uses AI. It does not prove that the skills gap among Israeli children is widening, nor does it mean that a child who has not attended a course is being left behind. To understand what is happening in your home, you need to look at the work itself.

UNESCO's AI competency framework for students, published in 2024, includes technological understanding alongside ethics, judgment and system design. It proposes a progression from understanding to application and creation. For a parent, the practical implication is that you can expect more than operating a tool that generates an image: an explanation of the choices made and the result's limitations, for example.

Some children are already gaining this kind of experience, while others have not yet had a convenient opportunity to try. Access to a computer, the language of instruction and help when they get stuck are things to consider before drawing conclusions about talent. A child who currently prefers drawing in a notebook may also find an interesting way to create on a computer later on.

A small task at home reveals the learning process

Invite your child to show you something they made recently: an animation, a presentation, a game, a piece of code or an illustrated story. Ask them to describe what they wanted to achieve, what they did themselves and what help they used. There is no need to test them in front of the family or catch them making a mistake. The aim is to understand what kind of help will allow them to move forward.

Useful signs of active learning include the ability to change one detail in a project, predict what will happen as a result and try again when the outcome is unexpected. For example, a child who built a quiz can explain how it determines whether an answer is correct. If they change the number of questions, you can check together whether the score is still calculated as intended.

By contrast, if an activity consists entirely of watching demonstrations or copying a result without understanding it, add a hands-on stage. Pressing a button that generates an entire game also tells you little on its own about how much the child understood. Ask for one small change to the game and see how they approach it, without expecting them to rewrite everything.

These are starting points for a conversation, not a diagnosis. One child may understand an idea but find it hard to explain aloud; another may speak confidently without understanding the details. Give them time, draw the process or work together. Watching videos and other entertainment are also part of leisure time; every video does not need to become a lesson. Simply make regular room for creating as well.

What children can learn in primary, middle and high school

For ages 9 to 13, suggest a short task with a visible result: an animation in which a character reacts to a click, a scored quiz or instructions for a game the child invented. Planning a sequence of actions, recognizing repetition and correcting an instruction that failed are possible goals. You can also start with paper and cards, for instance by having the child give a parent precise instructions for drawing a shape and discovering where the instructions were unclear.

An introduction to cybersecurity can begin with the question of who is allowed to view or change a file. Invent an imaginary classroom together and assign roles: who edits the shared story, who can only read it and who approves sharing. This introduces permissions and responsibility without accessing real accounts or experimenting with other people's systems.

For ages 12 to 16, you can explore the relationship between examples, instructions and results in more depth. In a guided AI activity, for instance, sort illustrated cards, formulate a sorting rule and see what happens when a card does not fit. When practicing with an age-appropriate tool, change the request and examine what changes in the answer. This is an opportunity to distinguish between an answer that sounds convincing and a result that meets the requirements you set.

In high school, suggest an ongoing project: a small program that organizes fictional data, a local website that does not collect personal information or a game with several levels. Ask the child to save versions and document one bug and an attempt to fix it. Anyone interested in cybersecurity can practice in a learning environment designated for that purpose, with clear authorization and known boundaries. Friends' accounts and the school network are not testing grounds.

These age groups are suggestions for activities, not developmental standards or permission to open an account with every service. A high-school beginner may need the same introductory task as a younger child, then progress at a different pace. Learning about AI is possible without independently chatting with a chatbot. Before using a particular service, check its age conditions and requirements for consent and supervision.

How to assess a course before committing

Ask for a description of an ordinary lesson rather than relying on a video of the final project. Who explains the task? How much time do children spend working independently? What happens when one finishes quickly while another still struggles to open the file? The answers will help you decide whether the setting suits your child.

According to the Israel Cyber Campus website, its cybersecurity and AI courses for children and teenagers include introductory cybersecurity for ages 9 to 13, an AI program for ages 12 to 16 and a cybersecurity program for high-school students. The website's course descriptions mention online safety, code, problem-solving and responsible AI use. This is the institution's own description; check the content, age group and terms of the specific course intake before enrolling.

Take five questions to an introductory conversation:

• What should the child be able to build or explain after a few sessions, and can you see a sample task?
• Who teaches the course, what experience do they have teaching children, and how can a child get individual help when stuck?
• What prior knowledge, English reading ability, computer and software are required, and is there a trial lesson?
• Which tools are used, who opens accounts, and how are privacy, recordings and communication with students handled?
• What is the total price, including subscriptions and equipment, and what are the written policies on absences, catch-up sessions and cancellation?

For an online course, also ask about session times, group size and the difference between live lessons and a library of recordings. For an in-person course, check the actual address, travel time and collection arrangements. These details affect a child's ability to keep attending, even when the material is interesting.

A certificate or a reference to a military unit is no substitute for a curriculum and feedback. There is no basis for assuming that enrolling in a course guarantees admission to a military program or a future career. Choose a setting where your child can learn now, with goals that can be observed and assessed along the way.

Responsible use includes the moment you close the computer

UNICEF's guidance on AI and children emphasizes data protection and privacy alongside safety and skills development. At home, translate that into a simple rule: practice with fictional characters, names and data. Do not upload an identification document, login details, medical information, grades or pictures of friends as part of an experiment. When a project needs material, draw it or photograph an object that reveals no personal information.

The finished work also calls for judgment. A child can ask a tool for ideas, choose one and develop it, but should be able to explain what help they used and what they did themselves. For schoolwork, check with the teacher what is allowed and what must be acknowledged. When a tool suggests a solution or code, ask the child to test a simple example and explain the result before continuing. The tool assists the process; responsibility for the decision remains with the user.

Agree on sharing boundaries in advance, too: who will see the project, whether it stays on the computer and when permission is needed before publication. There is no need to publish an open website to prove that a child has learned. They can show their work to family or an instructor without putting minors' personal details online.

Calling an activity "educational" does not exempt it from time limits. The American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends involving teenagers in setting rules for use and protecting sleep and device-free time. Set a stopping point that suits your family, leave room for physical activity and friends, and finish after saving the work. If stopping in the middle of a bug is difficult, write down what you tried and what you want to check next time. That way, the break does not erase the progress.

Start with a project the child wants to return to

The first attempt can focus on something small and familiar: a quiz about a favorite animal, a story with two possible endings or an animated family greeting. Choose one achievable project and let the child decide some of the details. A paper sketch is a good start, too, especially when the family computer is unavailable.

At the next session, return to the same project and change one thing. Then ask someone at home to try it. If the user does not understand the instructions or finds a bug, there is an opportunity to improve it. This approach leaves a record of progress: not just an attractive final image, but decisions the child can explain.

Before paying for a program, ask the school, library or community center what learning opportunities and equipment they offer. Independent learners can also use the guide to choosing a suitable free course on Campus IL, while checking the course level and age suitability. You do not need to enroll in several programs at once to discover what interests your child.

After a few attempts, ask what they would like to try next and where they need help. They may want a course, prefer to continue at home or choose a different subject for now. One skill they can begin building today is the ability to break down a problem, test an idea and correct it. When a child says, "I understand why it didn't work," you have something concrete to build on.