Comparing the effectiveness of an interactive immersive virtual reality experience and a desktop game for beach safety education with children in Australia

• VR and a desktop game were compared for beach safety education with children. • VR was more effective for recognition of signage and aerial-view rip currents. • Both platforms improved safe beach practices and ground-view rip identification. • Teachers found both tools valuable, but VR had more practical constraints. Drowning is a leading cause of injury-related death among children worldwide, prompting calls for effective water safety education. While innovative technologies have shown pedagogical potential in safety education, their application in beach safety remains underexplored. This study compared two digital platforms, an immersive virtual reality (VR) experience and a non-immersive digital game, Swim City (SC), to improve beach safety knowledge among Australian children. The platforms were tested with 101 students aged 8–11 years, assigned to either the VR group ( N = 52) or the SC group ( N = 49). Students completed a pre-test, a learning session, and a post-test one week later. Outcome measures included knowledge of safety preparation, safe beach practices, recognition of signage and flags, rip current identification, and selecting the safest swimming area. Intrinsic motivation (IM) was also assessed. Interviews with eight teachers explored feasibility, usability, and educational value. VR was more effective than SC in improving signage and flag recognition and rip current identification from aerial-view media. Safety preparation knowledge declined in the VR group, but did not change significantly in the SC group. Both platforms were equally effective for improving safe beach practices, rip current identification from ground-level view media, and selecting the safest swimming area. IM did not differ significantly between groups. Teachers found both platforms engaging and educationally valuable, though VR’s feasibility was affected by setup time, equipment, and health concerns. This study highlights specific strengths of VR and SC for beach safety education. Platform choice can be guided by educational goals, resources, and classroom context.