Clear boundaries help prevent problems and strengthen relationships.
Services for Children
What skills do children learn?
Which workshop is right for my child?
What if we can't get to a workshop?
"Kidpower’s very practical tools are invaluable for parents and children alike, especially when children are getting out in the world more, whether by going to school, taking a trip, or starting new activities. Kidpower’s approach builds confidence and prepares families and schools to prevent and solve problems in a positive effective way."
Abby Bleistein, M.D., Pediatrician and Kidpower Board Member
What skills do children learn?
Kidpower teaches ‘People Safety’ skills. These are social skills people of all ages use to build safe, positive experiences with people everywhere they go. People Safety skills include:
- How to be and act aware, calm, and confident
- How to take charge
- How to get help
- How to set clear and appropriate boundaries
- How to stop unwanted touching and teasing
- How to protect themselves from name-calling and hurtful words
We teach physical self-defense skills to children six or older as well when families arrange for this option. Our workshops that include physical self-defense always begin with extensive practice in the many other skills that can prevent, avoid, leave, or de-escalate problems before they become physical. Our goal is to empower children with the full range of skills they deserve in order to escape from emergency situations as quickly as possible. Students in our Full Force workshops get individualized support practicing physical skills one-on-one with a padded instructor.
How do we teach these skills?
- We lead age-appropriate role-plays with skill, kindness, and humor
- We create opportunities to ‘learn by doing’ while also having fun and laughing
- We focus on positive, practical solutions children can use to leave or stop problems as quickly as possible
- We use upbeat language that is skill-based, not fear-based: we teach being ‘aware’, not ‘wary,’ and we teach ‘stranger safety,’ not ‘stranger danger’
- We include parents and caregivers every step of the way, because they are a child’s most important teachers with the power to reinforce the skills every day
- We offer written, illustrated books to help adults and children continue to practice on their own with the same positive, success-based, solution-focused approach they experience in our classes.
Which workshop is right for my child?
We offer a variety of workshops offering hands-on, relevant, and fun learning experiences:
Ages 4-8
Kidpower Parent- Child Workshops (2 hours)
Children together with their adults learn age-appropriate Kidpower People Safety skills and how to practice them as a team. Our instructors introduce skills children can use right away to feel safer and more confident dealing with people at home, on the playground, and out and about in the world. Every step of the way, we give supportive coaching so families learn how to continue practicing and reinforcing the skills on their own. This class does not introduce physical self-defense skills.
More information on organizing a workshop for your group
Ages 6-12
Kidpower Parent-Child Full Force Workshop (4 hours)
This workshop starts out just like a two-hour Parent-Child Workshop, and then it extends the learning to include physical self-defense skills. From the start, children together with their adults learn age-appropriate Kidpower People Safety skills and how to practice them as a team. The activities and the role-plays are tailored to be relevant to the lives of older children. Children then learn and practice physical self-defense skills with one-on-one coaching from a padded instructor. Adults get an additional opportunity to ask adult-only questions, and they encourage and cheer for the children as they practice their physical skills.
More information on organizing a workshop for your group
FamilyPower Workshop (Families with children 6 and up)
California only
We lead this popular, two-part workshop just two weekends each year. Children six and up, teens, and adults learning together as a family get an in-depth People Safety skills learning opportunity offering “something for everyone.”
FamilyPower begins with the opportunity for families to learn together as a team focusing on building the children’s People Safety skills. Then, children learn and practice Full Force physical self-defense skills while the adults enjoy a tailored ParentPower session addressing their specific needs and safety concerns. On the second day, young people get more in-depth practice in the full range of skills while adults practice skills in their own Fullpower Full Force class.
Teens participate in the segments that best meet their own individual needs. We talk with the teen and their parents every step of the way to decide what opportunities and practices will be most relevant for them. The workshop ends with a demonstration where the children show the adults everything they have learned.
More information on organizing a workshop for your group
Kidpower Weekend Family Workshops (Families with Children 6-14)
This three-part workshop offers the chance for children to learn and practice personal safety , including physical self-defense skills with a padded instructor. A separate parent workshop gives adults information and skills to help integrate the skills into the family’s everyday life.
More information on organizing a workshop for your group
What if we can't get to a workshop?
Our library offers a wealth of free resources, including articles, videos, podcasts, our e-newsletter, and our blog, which provide tools for understanding and using the skills we teach.
Our store has publications for sale including our Safety Comics, our Kidpower Guide eBook, our Kidpower Book for Caring Adults, our cartoon-illustrated Teaching Kits, our Relationship Safety Book, and our Comprehensive Program Manuals. These materials show how to teach People Safety skills and concepts to the important children, teens, and adults in your life.
If you don’t have a Kidpower center close to your community, consider setting up a new one and training as an instructor.
We also train teachers and other professionals to include Kidpower in their lessons and programs so that children everywhere can learn Kidpower!