Safer Internet Day (SID) competition for primary learners

Overview

The storyboard could be inspired by:

• different uses of AI and how it can help, or sometimes cause problems, for thinking, creativity and well-being
• imagining a future where AI is used positively to support safer digital spaces
• what can go wrong and ways to respond to any negative uses of AI

See the ‘Safer Internet Day theme’ section on this page for ideas on how to introduce this theme to your learners. Entries should include a strong online safety message or feature a character who learns an important lesson about staying safe online.

The emphasis of the competition is on the message that is shared, rather than a professional standard of drawing or writing.

You can download the storyboard template or develop your own when creating the storyboard.

You can also make use of Adobe's digital storyboard template (Hwb login required).

See the video guide for some useful tips on how to use Adobe Express to create a digital storyboard template.

Winning entries will be showcased on Hwb and celebrated as part of our Safer Internet Day 2026 campaign.

Key information

Competition opens

Monday 20 October 2025.

Competition closes

Friday 5 December 2025 at 5pm.

Winner announcement

Tuesday 10 February 2026 (date we celebrate Safer Internet Day).

Eligibility

Open to schools and youth settings in Wales, for learners aged 3 to 11. There is no limit to the number of entries per school or youth organisation.

Format

Learners can use a pen and paper or digital tools, such as Adobe. These will need to be submitted as .jpeg, .png or PDF.

Categories

Entries will be judged in 2 separate age categories, 3 to 7 and 7 to 11.

For information on how we handle data, please refer to the Welsh Government Privacy Notice.

Rules of entry

• Schools must submit the entry form on behalf of learners. Only entries submitted by an education practitioner or youth leader will be considered for the competition.
• In the interest of fair competition, we will only consider entries produced in a joint creative effort between learners and their school or youth setting. Practitioners should guide and support the work but not create content themselves.
• All storyboards must be submitted via this Microsoft Form (you need a Hwb account to use the form) by 5pm on Friday 5 December 2025. Please contact diogelarlein.safeonline@gov.wales if you experience any issues.
• Storyboards must contain no more than 12 scenes. 
• All storyboards must feature an uplifting message and include content and imagery that is suitable for their age group.
• All storyboards must respect copyright law.

Copyright information

Copyright laws protect those in the creative industries, allowing them to be rewarded for their work. It is designed to inform who can copy, adapt or distribute that work without permission and when this is allowed.

Before you begin work on the storyboard, it is important that you familiarise yourself with the legal aspects of this. Make sure any content you use is either original, properly licensed or falls within permitted use.

You can find out more about copyright from the Intellectual Property Office and Creative Commons.

Safer Internet Day theme

For this campaign, our focus will be on AI, exploring how it shapes our online experiences and how we can use it safely and responsibly.

While younger children may have limited experience in using AI, many will be familiar with smart devices. Explain that AI is behind:

• suggestions on what to watch next on streaming services
  voice assistants like Alexa or Siri
• autocorrect and predictive text when typing messages on a tablet or phone
• apps that help with learning to read by giving personalised feedback

It may be helpful to explain that AI is also being used in lots of other ways, such as:

• helping doctors diagnose diseases
• making cars safer
• helping farmers grow better crops