Blogging about parenting in an authentic way isn’t just about coloring page printables and lunch menu ideas. Safety for children is important information that deserves to be written about in a serious tone with respect to all the different situations a parent might find themselves in. In this article I did my best to turn proper safety procedures into engaging safety activities for kids.
Before we get started I want to be clear that teaching safety within the constraints of your current circumstances is not the only solution. As I wrote this article I couldn’t help but think that I am giving advice on a fight or flight scenario when it comes to America. It seems a bit disingenuous for me to teach you how to handle emergency situations in an engaging way, without also mentioning option B, which is to just leave.
While no place on Earth is perfect, there are unique safety concerns in America that either don’t exist or are dramatically reduced in other countries. I know that your primary concern as a parent is to keep your child safe at all costs. My family decided in November 2020 that the best way to keep our kids safe was to move out of the country.
The idea of leaving in search of safety might offend some of you and it might inspire others, either way I just felt that it needed to be said up front instead of acting like we’re all in the same boat when it comes to our kid getting shot at school. I am not in that boat. So, with that being said, here are some safety activities for kids to make the safety message less dry and more easily remembered.
Teaching children about safety is a critical aspect of early education that helps protect them and instills a sense of responsibility and awareness as they grow. Safety activities for kids provide a dynamic way to educate them about potential hazards in a manner that is both engaging and memorable. By integrating fun, practical tasks into lessons about safety—whether it’s road, fire, or online safety—you can help children learn vital skills at a young age.
Building a foundation in safety ensures that preventable injuries are minimized and that children are equipped with the knowledge they need to navigate various environments securely. When safety education starts at home and continues at school, it lays down the groundwork for a lifetime of prudent choices and self-protection. Your role as an educator or parent is to combine safety protocols with fun, age-appropriate activities that reinforce these important lessons.
Water safety, personal safety in the presence of strangers, and online safety are just some areas where educational activities can make a real difference. By regularly practicing safety activities for kids and making them part of your routine, you encourage children to actively participate in their own protection. These practices are not only essential but can also be seamlessly incorporated into playtime, classroom settings, and everyday life.
Ensuring your home is secure involves recognizing potential hazards and knowing how to address them. This section will guide you through identifying dangers, preparing for emergencies, and managing household items responsibly.
Your ability to spot potential risks in the home is crucial for maintaining a safe environment. Begin by inspecting each room for common hazards such as loose carpets that could cause trips and falls or unsecured heavy furniture that might tip over. Smoke detectors should be installed on every level, especially near sleeping areas. Test these monthly and replace batteries annually to safeguard against fire risks. Remember, safety items like fire extinguishers should be easily accessible in key areas, including the kitchen and garage.
Other major risks are unattended cleaners, medicine bottles, and other substances that are one of the leading cause of death among children. Teach young kids about poison safety and store all toxic substances, including cleaning products and medications, out of children’s reach. These substances are ideally placed in locked cabinets that are not within reach of children. In case of accidental ingestion, plan for these emergencies by having several important pieces of information at hand, like ambulance contact information.
You must have a clear and practiced fire escape plan that defines safe exit points and a family meeting location outside the home. Always keep exits clear and have an escape ladder for rooms above ground level. Teach everyone in your home how to use a fire extinguisher correctly and ensure they know where first aid kits are stored. Set up regular family drills to practice these plans and keep emergency contact numbers accessible to everyone in the household.
Safely manage sharp objects like kitchen knives in secure drawers or racks. Educate your family on the importance of never leaving these items unattended. They must know of a safe place where all knives, cutters, and sharp objects can be placed out of children’s reach.
Implementing security alarms can also provide an additional layer of safety, alerting you to unauthorized entry or potential dangers such as carbon monoxide.
Ensuring safety is vital no matter the child’s age, and incorporating fun activities into learning helps them absorb important lessons better. Interactive games, creative crafts, and real-world experiences make safety education engaging and memorable.
You can transform essential safety knowledge into an enjoyable experience with interactive safety games. For example, teaching the “stop, drop, and roll” technique through a high-energy, fun game serves as a practical method for fire safety while also catering to a preschooler’s need for active play. Classic games like 911 Hopscotch offer a fun way to familiarize children with emergency contact numbers.
Materials Needed:
Setup:
How to Play 911 Hopscotch:
Rules:
Objective:
Educational Twist:
Parents often dictate what a child is supposed to be doing as a day progresses. All day long we say “do this,” “don’t do that,” “do it like this.” Turning those instructions into safety songs makes it less likely that our kids will tune us out.
Pro Tip: When your child is old enough to use a public bathroom by themselves and you are each in an individual stall, have them sing you a safety song in order to know they are still where you expect them to be while you pee.
Sing this song to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Look, Look, Left and Right
Verse 1:
Look, look, left and right,
Before you step, make sure it’s right.
Hold a grown-up’s hand so tight,
Walking safe in daylight bright.
Look, look, left and right,
Safety first, that’s our insight!
Chorus:
Stop, look, and listen, too,
That’s what we always do.
Cross the street with care,
Look around, be aware!
Verse 2:
Cross, cross, at the line,
Where the signs are clear and fine.
Traffic lights, they help us know,
When it’s time to stop and go.
Cross, cross, at the line,
Walking safe and feeling fine!
Chorus:
Stop, look, and listen, too,
That’s what we always do.
Cross the street with care,
Look around, be aware!
Outro:
Look, look, left and right,
Now we cross with all our might.
Safe and sound, from side to side,
We crossed the road with a stride!
Look, look, left and right,
We did it right, what a sight!
Sing this song to the tune of Mary had a Little Lamb
Safe on My Bicycle
Verse 1:
Safe on my bicycle, here I go,
Here I go, here I go,
Safe on my bicycle, here I go,
Riding smooth and slow.
Chorus:
Helmet on to protect my head,
Every time I ride, every time I ride,
Follow the rules, just like I said,
Safe on every stride.
Verse 2:
Look around and signal well,
Signal well, signal well,
Look around and signal well,
Safety tales I’ll tell.
Chorus:
Helmet on to protect my head,
Every time I ride, every time I ride,
Follow the rules, just like I said,
Safe on every stride.
Verse 3:
Staying on the right-hand side,
Right-hand side, right-hand side,
Staying on the right-hand side,
With a safety guide.
Chorus:
Helmet on to protect my head,
Every time I ride, every time I ride,
Follow the rules, just like I said,
Safe on every stride.
Outro:
Now I ride my bike with glee,
With glee, with glee,
I follow rules so I stay free,
Happy and safe, that’s me!
Creative crafts can be a great way to teach safety and inspire a love for the subject. For very young kids, construction paper can be used to assemble a vibrant fire truck, adding yarn for the hose and straws for the ladder. In pre-school a simple activity would be to make signs for potential fire hazards in your home which gives you a great opportunity to discuss first steps if that thing were to ever catch on fire. As children get even older you can have them draw different scenarios for escaping a fire.
Objective: To teach children about the importance of having a fire escape plan at home and to familiarize them with safe exits in case of a fire.
Start by discussing the importance of fire safety and having a plan in case of an emergency.
Explain what a fire escape plan is and why it’s important to know the exits in your home.
Give each child a large sheet of paper or poster board.
Guide them to draw a simple map of their home, including all rooms, doors, and windows. A ruler can be used to draw straight lines for walls.
Encourage them to mark the main living areas, bedrooms, and any important landmarks in their home.
Using a different colored marker, have children mark all possible exits in each room, including windows and doors.
Discuss the importance of having more than one exit in case one is blocked.
Choose a safe meeting place outside the home, like a neighbor’s house, a street light, or a mailbox.
Have children mark this meeting place on their map, possibly with a special sticker or label.
Ask children to place a sticker or draw a symbol where smoke detectors are located in their home.
Discuss the importance of smoke detectors and why they should be regularly checked.
Once their map is complete, encourage children to discuss their plan with their family at home.
Suggest they practice the fire escape plan with their family, ensuring everyone knows what to do in case of a fire.
8. Safety Tips Reminder:
This activity not only helps children understand the importance of being prepared for emergencies but also engages them in a practical exercise that can be crucial in a real-life situation. It’s a great way to make the concept of fire safety interactive and tangible for kids.
Objective:Find and identify items or situations around the house that are either safe or not safe, based on the clues provided.
Start by reading each clue on the scavenger hunt checklist. Each clue will describe either a safe item or an unsafe situation in the house.
Look around the house to find the item or situation described by each clue.
Decide if the item or situation is safe or not safe. If it’s not safe, think about why and what could be done to make it safer.
Once you find an item or situation and decide if it’s safe, check it off the list.
Try to find as many items as possible. Once you’ve completed the hunt, review the items with an adult to discuss why they are safe or not safe.
After completing the scavenger hunt, receive a small reward or praise for your excellent detective work in identifying home safety!
Objective: To teach children important safety lessons in an interactive and inclusive manner, addressing different learning styles: auditory, kinesthetic, and visual.
Auditory Learners: Listening to a Safety Story
Kinesthetic Learners: Safety Word Scramble or Crossword Puzzle
Visual Learners: Safety Coloring Page or Activity Sheet
Combining the Activities:
A field trip to a local fire station or police station introduces children to real-life safety professionals, like firefighters and police officers, making them role models in the eyes of the kids. Observing a fire truck up close or watching a police officer demonstrate safety equipment imparts valuable lessons. Such field trips cement classroom learning by providing hands-on experiences and allowing children to connect safety lessons with real life situations.
As I alluded to before there was a sense of dread when I decided to write about safety activities for kids because I wanted to not just write a puff piece. There was no type of play based lesson I could come up with in regards to gun safety in public places.
Instead, I decided that practical experience similar to a fire drill or an earthquake drill was the answer for this particular safety topic. In fact, it was active shooter drills at my kids school that was the straw that broke the camels back and finally caused us to leave America.
In America, it’s unfortunately necessary to discuss tough topics like gun violence in public spaces. While it’s a challenging subject, preparing your child can empower them and enhance their safety.
Conversations about gun violence are not easy, but they are necessary. By discussing these scenarios with sensitivity and care, you’re not only preparing your child but also providing them with confidence and reassurance. Remember, the aim is not to scare them but to equip them with knowledge and strategies for their safety.
Teaching children about personal space and stranger safety is crucial in equipping them with the skills to navigate potentially dangerous situations. By establishing clear safety rules and reinforcing the concepts of personal boundaries, your child can learn to trust their instincts and act appropriately when faced with strangers or even family and friends.
Personal boundaries are essential for a child’s sense of safety and well-being. Begin by teaching your child the correct names of their body parts to communicate clearly about their privacy. Introduce the “traffic light” system as a tool to understand personal boundaries: green light for acceptable behaviors, yellow light for uncertain situations, and red light for unacceptable actions. Use role-playing to practice scenarios where they must assert their boundaries.
Stranger danger awareness is a key component of your child’s safety education. Help your child understand who strangers are, emphasizing that they are not always ‘scary’ in appearance. Provide them with simple and direct safety rules, like never accepting gifts or rides without your permission. Instruct them to look for safety equipment like police badges or uniforms if they are lost and need to ask for help. Additionally, teach them to trust their instincts and use a strong, clear voice if they feel unsafe, reinforcing these good practices through regular discussion and rehearsal.
Ensuring the safety of children during outdoor and recreational activities requires your vigilance and their understanding of certain safety principles. Here, you’ll find structured advice on road and pedestrian education, water safety, and extracurricular activity best practices.
Teach your children about traffic signs and rules with engaging games like “Red Light, Green Light”. These games not only provide much fun but also embed safe habits in your child’s routine. Spend time explaining the importance of pedestrian safety, such as looking both ways before crossing the street and understanding potential hazards.
Key Points for Road Safety:
When spending time near water, ensure your child understands water safety. Equip them with wearable safety gear such as life jackets and arm floaties. In addition, conduct experiments or fun activities to highlight the significance of sun protection. Demonstrating the effects of sunscreen with a UV bead experiment can be an imaginative way to inculcate the habit of using sunblock.
Sun Protection Checklist:
For bike safety, ensure your child wears a helmet and protective gear. Incorporate these practices into your own classroom or home to make learning about safety a part of their everyday life. Moreover, emphasize the safe practices of any extracurricular activities, always highlighting the use of appropriate safety equipment and understanding of the environment they’re engaging with.
Bike Safety Essentials:
With these guidelines, you can provide a comprehensive safety education that covers road, pedestrian, and recreational activities. Lead by example and consistently reinforce these practices to ensure your child’s safety and wellbeing during their outdoor adventures.
In the digital age, it is paramount that you equip even younger children with the skills to navigate the internet safely. This means having open discussions about internet safety that resonate with their level of understanding, engaging them in interactive lessons to secure their personal information, and involving them in activities that teach them to identify the do’s and don’ts of digital communication.
Understanding and recognizing the signs of cyberbullying is a critical part of your child’s online safety. Ensure they know that any form of harassment or bullying, whether in comments, messages, or posts, is unacceptable. While this is a scary topic for older children since it can lead to sexual abuse or invasion of privacy, you can make them understand unsafe situations in social media sites through the proper safety messages of internet usage. Below is a teacher guide on cyberbullying to help old and young people.
