School may be out for most, but the learning doesn’t have to stop — especially for Atlanta Gas Light customers. Thanks to a digital arcade developed by Atlanta Gas Light and its parent company, Southern Company Gas, millions of customers now have a new digital learning tool to educate children on natural gas safety — and to keep them occupied.

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) and shelter-in-place orders, parents are getting creative to keep their kids entertained. The online Safe Digging Arcade, developed in honor of National Safe Digging Month, utilizes science, engineering, technology and math (STEM) games to teach future excavators to become safe digging champions.

“We are constantly looking for new and innovative ways to educate our communities about the importance of natural gas safety – and that starts with our kids,” said Bryan Batson, president of Atlanta Gas Light. “We have been providing safety and educational programs to school children for generations, but it is clear that now we needed a digital solution.”

Digging without knowing the approximate location of underground utilities can result in damage to gas, electric, communications, water and sewer lines, ultimately leading to service disruptions, serious injuries and costly repairs. The Safe Digging Arcade offers eight games, including puzzles and problem-solving activities, that educate children about how their families can stay avoid these types of accidents when digging around their homes.

National Safe Digging Month reminds homeowners to call 811, a communication system established to provide a place of contact for excavating professionals and the public, before starting any project involving digging, tunneling, grading, boring, blasting, demolition or similar work. After registering a project with Georgia 811 utilities mark underground services like gas, power, phone and cable lines with paint or flags so excavators and homeowners know where they are located and can dig safely.