Welcome Grown-Ups!
For the Grown-Ups Behind the Curious Kids.
You’re in the right place. This page is designed for those who want to better understand why safe digging education matters at every age.
Here, you’ll find helpful information about our mission, the partnerships that bring our programs to life, and ways to support safe, engaging learning experiences for kids. Whether you’re guiding a classroom, planning a backyard project, or just exploring alongside your child, we’ve got resources to help you stay informed and involved.
Building Safe Habits Early—Together
At JULIE, we believe safety starts with awareness—and that awareness can begin at any age.
JULIE Kids was created to introduce children to the importance of calling 811 before digging in a way that’s fun, memorable, and easy to understand. By teaching these concepts early, we help build lifelong habits that prevent damage, protect communities, and keep everyone safe.
For parents and caregivers, that means you can feel confident knowing your child is engaging with content that’s not only educational, but rooted in real-world safety practices.
We’re proud to partner with organizations across the state to extend this message beyond the screen—bringing interactive learning, community events, and hands-on experiences to families where they already are.
Learning Happens Everywhere
JULIE believes safety education works best when it shows up in the places families already love. That’s why we’ve partnered with some of Illinois’ most exciting organizations to bring our message to life — at the ballpark, the ice rink, and the zoo.
Helping You Bring Safety Into the Classroom
If you’re an educator, you already know that the best lessons are the ones students actually remember. JULIE Kids offers classroom-friendly resources designed to make teaching safe digging concepts simple, engaging, and age-appropriate. From ready-to-use lesson ideas to interactive activities, our materials are built to fit seamlessly into your existing curriculum while reinforcing real-world safety skills.
Where Learning Feels Like Play
Looking for something your kids will want to explore? Shovelton Springs is the heart of the JULIE Kids experience—a place filled with interactive games, activities, and challenges designed to teach safe digging in a way that sticks.
Take a few minutes to jump in with your child and see what they discover. You might be surprised how much fun learning about safety can be.
Stay in the Loop
Want to stay in the loop on upcoming events, partnership news, and JULIE community announcements? Head over to the main JULIE site for the latest updates and more information on safe digging.
Questions from Grown Ups
Yes. JULIE Kids is a safe, family-friendly site with no advertising, no user accounts, and no external links that leave the JULIE Kids environment without clear context. All content was designed specifically for children and reviewed with age-appropriateness in mind.
JULIE Kids is primarily designed for elementary-age children (roughly K–5, ages 5–11), though many of the activities and videos are enjoyable and educational for older kids and even adults. The games, stories, and downloadables work well across a wide range of ages.
There are millions of miles of underground utility lines across the U.S. — gas, water, electricity, internet, and more — buried beneath yards, parks, and sidewalks. When someone digs without checking first, the results can be dangerous. Teaching kids about this early helps build habits of safety and community awareness that last a lifetime. And honestly, “there’s an invisible city under your feet” is actually a pretty cool thing for kids to learn about.
Completely free. Every worksheet, coloring page, activity book, and printable on JULIE Kids is available to download and use at no cost — for home, classroom, or community use.
Point them right here! The JULIE Kids site has a dedicated section for teachers and educators with downloadable classroom materials, and JULIE’s Damage Prevention Managers are available to visit schools for free safety presentations.
JULIE stands for Joint Utility Locating Information for Excavators. It’s a free, nonprofit notification service that connects Illinois homeowners and professional excavators with member utility companies before any digging project. When you contact JULIE, utility companies come out and mark where their underground lines are located — so digging happens safely. It’s free, it’s required by Illinois law, and it could save your life. Learn more at illinois1call.com.
Yes — Illinois state law requires anyone planning to dig to contact JULIE at least two business days before starting, regardless of the depth or size of the project. That includes planting a tree, putting in a fence post, or installing a mailbox. The good news: it’s completely free and takes just a few minutes online or over the phone.