Squid Game challenges being recreated in school playgrounds prompts warning from Central Bedfordshire Council

Parents have received an email from Central Beds Council warning them about children recreating challenges from the violent Netflix hit Squid Game.

And the show, which has taken audiences by storm, has also spawned viral challenges on TikTok, where users post their own versions of the games.

But Central Beds Council sprang into action after learning that some youngsters were 'playing' the games in school playgrounds.

While losers in the show are shot dead, some reports have said that children were 'punishing' losers using physical violence.

The Central Bedfordshire Council email reportedly said: “There have been some concerning reports recently about children and young people ‘playing’ Squid Game whilst at school. Squid Game is also being viewed via other platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, and given the popularity of the games in the show, developers have made various mini-games based on Squid Game on Roblox and other gaming platforms.

“We strongly advise that children should not watch Squid Game. The show is quite graphic with a lot of violent content.”

Squid Game is about a group of people in terrible debt who are forced to play children’s games for the chance to win 45.6 billion South Korean won - just over £28,620,000.

The players are threatened with violence and death by guards in order to force them to take part in the games, and losers are killed.

Written and directed by South Korean director Hwang Dong-hyuk, the show doesn’t shy away from violence and gore.

The BBFC awarded Squid Game a 15 rating in the UK for “sexual violence references, injury detail, crude humour, sex, suicide, sexual images, violence”.

The rating states that the material is “suitable only for 15 years and over” with no concession for children watching with adults.

A Central Beds Council spokesperson said: “We have a role to safeguard children in our schools, so when we became aware that young people had seen footage of the programme on social media and were playing it in the playground, our safeguarding team shared information and resources with our schools to support parents to keep their children safe online."