The Safe Side is a series of children's safety videos and related products created in 2005 by Julie Clark, founder of The Baby Einstein Company, and John Walsh, host of America's Most Wanted and co-founder of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The DVDs and accompanying materials present safety guidance for children through entertainment-focused formats designed to teach personal safety skills in an engaging, non-frightening manner.
Videos
The series features a central character named Safe Side Superchick, portrayed by Angela Shelton, who appears in both main productions:
- The Safe Side: Stranger Safety (2005) teaches "Hot Tips" about staying safe around strangers and includes a music video and three Safety Badges.
- The Safe Side: Internet Safety (2006) introduces online-safety guidance and features two music videos, bloopers, and a Safe Side wristband. This title was released as part of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's NetSmartz educational program, along with badge stickers, wristbands, identification kits, and school event kits.
Music
The Safe Side Cool Tunes (2006) is a compilation of ten safety-themed songs, including "Safe Side Close."
Books
The only book in the series, Keep Close. Keep Cool., was released as a companion to the video materials.
The series is aimed primarily at children aged 5 to 9 and has been recognized with Emmy Awards. The productions were designed to help children feel empowered in potentially dangerous situations, using humor and upbeat presentation rather than fear-based messaging. The creative team also included production members from the Spy Kids films and a theme song by Gary Greene of Hootie and the Blowfish.
