Group Time Discussions:
These tips from the Friskies Company are wonderful ones we can review with preschoolers (on their level, of course):
Being Safe With Dogs:
1.Do
not pet or touch dogs while they are eating food or chewing on toys, and while
they are resting or sleeping, especially if they are under or on furniture.
2.
Do not hug or kiss dogs that are not your own, however friendly they
seem, and ask an adult before petting an unfamiliar dog.
3.
Do not pet or restrain any dog trying to get away from you.
4.
Touch and pet dogs gently. Avoid patting or slapping them, even
in a friendly manner.
5. If a dog does
bite you, tell an adult as soon as possible.
>^..^<
Being Safe With Cats >^..^<
1. Do not handle
cats roughly or scare them.
2.
Petting should be limited to brief strokes on the head and neck (avoid the lower
back and the abdomen), preferably when the cat herself solicits contact.
3. If lifted, cats
should not be restrained or forced to stay where they do not want to be.
4. If a cat
bites or scratches you, tell an adult.
Favorite Books:
(I'm
Safe) With My Pet, by Wendy Gordon; Paul Gordon illustrator
General
safety reminders that preschoolers can understand concerning animals:
1. Mother animals with babies are very
protective
2. Sick animals can also be
dangeous
3. Wild animals should not be
touched or teased
Poisonous Animals:
We
have dangerous animals where I live that are unique to my state of Florida.
So, because my safety unit on poisonous animals might differ from yours, I've
simply started a list of animals and/or general safety tips below that are probably
familiar to us all. From these, we can develop mini science lessons that
include Group Time discussions and/or placing picture books in our Science Centers.
But, for "poisonous animal" safety lessons,
I suggest you contact your own state's poison control centers for specific information
on animals that are unique to your state or region of the country (although many
of the safety tips are the same no matter where we live.)
THE
FOLLOWING INFORMATION COMES FROM WASHINGTON AND
OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY FACT SHEETS OR THE FLORIDA
POISON INFORMATION NETWORK
Bees and Wasps:
How many times have we been outdoors when a bee or wasp flies near one of the
children and they begin flailing at it? We can discuss what
we SHOULD do: We are to slowly raise our arms in order to protect our
face, but stand still, or move slowly away. We aren't supposed to move quickly
or swing at them. And most importantly, if one is against our bodies, we
shouldn't strike at it as we may trap it causing it to sting.
Black
Widow Spider: This spider likes dark quiet places (like the garage,
under lumber, in piles of rocks, etc). The female's bite is more toxic than
the male's. She is velvety jet black in color. Her belly usually shows
two reddish markings, often resembing the shape of an hourglass. We
can teach children that they are usually shy unless disturbed.
Brown
Recluse Spiders: These spiders are yellow-orange to brown in color
with a violin shaped marking on their heads. They can be as big as a quarter
and they like to hide in places like bathroom closets.
Tarantulas:
These are very large, hairy spiders, some with very venomous body hairs.
When agitated, they rake their abdomen with their hind legs to throw very fine
abdominal hairs in the direction of danger. These needlelike barbed hairs
penetrate human skin.
Snakes: Common poisonous
ones include the rattlesnake, copperhead, and cottonmouth.
General
Safety Tip: Don't stick your hands in bushes or behind rocks and logs where you
can't see.
Another animal safety topic of discussion: What is
"Rabies?"
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Reminder
from Stormie: If you would like to begin collecting ALL my current classroom
ideas (each on a 4 x 6" index card), as well as new ones that I create, you
can do so by ordering my "Activity Cards." Click here
to check them out.
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