Social networking has become an everyday part of life for children, teens and adults. While teens enjoy social apps like Instagram and Snapchat, and Facebook is geared toward adults, Facebook’s Messenger Kids is an ideal introduction to online communication for children ages 6 to 12. Here’s some information about Messenger Kids and how parents can help their children get started.

Messenger Kids is a free video calling and messaging app for iOS and Android devices and Fire tablets. With parental controls and kid-friendly features, Messenger Kids gives children all the fun of digital communication in a safely controlled environment.

Parents can set up and manage their child's Messenger Kids account through their own Facebook account, while mom and dad manage their child's contact list.

Safety and privacy are paramount in Messenger Kids. Parents set controls and view and manage their children’s contacts through a parental dashboard. Kids can block or report an unwanted contact, and when they do, their parents are notified.