Share your ideas too.  E-mail me at stormie@preschoolbystormie.com   SAFETY THEMES: Keeping Safe At Home & School Why We Have Rules What Is 911?

From Stormie:
In my "Getting Acquainted" booklet, I share my classroom and playground safety rules along with activities that allow the children to experience why we need rules.  I also include ideas for introducing what 911 is all about.  The ideas posted below are follow-up extensions/supplements to those in my booklet but you can apply them to your own individual situations as well.  They can be part of a planned "Safety Unit" or done at random throughout the school year as a way to review important safety rules.  I plan to create more activities and post them as often as I can.

You can read the details of all my booklets by clicking here on "Stormie's Stuff for Teachers."  When you're finished, just keep hitting your "BACK" button until you arrive back at this page.   

*Group Time Discussions, Questioning Games/Creative Drama Options:

What Would You Do If You Saw.......... :

Alice's Scattered Toys: In advance (while the children are outdoors with an adult), scatter small toys on the floor.  Upon returning to the classroom, have the class sit down in your GroupTime area.  Tell them we are pretending that someone named Alice left her toys out on the hard slippery floor of her mommy's kitchen.  Alice's grandma is coming over to help mommy bake cookies.  Who can tell me why the toys on the floor are dangerous?  (Demonstrate how toys can slide.)

Bobby Dialing 911: Bobby's preschool teacher taught him about when and how to dial 911.  When Bobby got home that day, he wanted to practice, so he picked up the phone in the kitchen and dialed 911.  Was this a good thing?  Why not?  How then can he practice dialing 911?

Alex Running: Alex ran down the sidewalk to see the worm before it crawled away.  Was this ok?  Why not?

Susan Unlatching the Gate: Susan had to go to the bathroom while playing outdoors.  She knew she should tell her teacher but Mrs. Samms was busy talking to someone.  Susan was tall enough so she unlatched the gate to go to the bathroom by herself.  Was this ok?  Why not?

Joey Building a Tower: Joey loved playing with the blocks.  One day, he built a tower that was taller than him.  It grew higher and higher and higher.  Was this ok?  Why not?

Amanda Climbing With a Popsicle: Amanda's mother sent popsicles to school with Amanda as a special treat.  It was a nice day so everyone ate their treats outside before playing on the playground.  Amanda wanted to climb on the climber while eating her popsicle but her teacher told her she couldn't.  Why not? 
 
Safety Review Song: One day, while outdoors, gather the children into groups.  Tell them you're going to sing to each group and they are to listen and do as the words say.  Tell them the song is to see who remembers how to play safely.  Then go to each group and sing a verse of my very simple song below:
 

This Is the Way (Tune: Mulberry Bush)   This is the way we safely climb the ladder, safely climb the ladder, safely climb the ladder This is the way we safely climb the ladder on this beautiful day.   This is the way we safely swing in swings, safely swing in swings, safely swing in swings This is the way we safely swing in swings on this beautiful day.   This is the way we safely move down the sidewalk, safely move down the sidewalk, safely move down the sidewalk, This is the way we safely move down the sidewalk on this beautiful day.   And so on. *For free brochures, booklets, etc for both adults and children on the subject of "home and playground safety," you can write to:
U. S. Consumer Product  Safety Commission
Washington, D. C.    20207

(I especially like their little children's booklet entitled Little Big Kids)
Their website address is: http://www.cpsc.gov/index.html

By the way, have you ever stopped to realize that when we teach Safety, we are also teaching Character Ed.  For example, playing safely on the playground involves respecting others, sharing, being good citizens, and other good character traits.

Favorite Books:
From Stormie:

Barney Says, "Play Safely," by Margie Larsen, M. Ed. Dudko, Mary Anne Dudko; Illustrated by Bill Langley:  Barney plays safely outdoors and on the playground

Favorite books that focus on several safety themes:
Dinosaurs, Beware! A Safety Guide, by Marc Tolon Brown and Stephen Krensky: This book includes rules for keeping safe in the home, in the car, fire safety, and more.  The pictures are cute and funny!
 

Special notes about the safety themes on my website:    1. As important as these themes are, I often remind myself that although I need to make children aware of life's dangers, I need to do so without frightening them.     2. Like all sections of my website, I hope to add more information over time.  My goal for each "safety" theme is to include not only teaching ideas, but "adult" rules and tips as well that you can pass along to parents to serve as extensions and/or supplements to the children's mini lessons at school.        3. Tips, facts, and activities are not all-inclusive.  There may be many more important safety points to consider than what you read on my webpages.

 

YOU'RE INVITED TO ALSO E-MAIL ME WITH YOUR THOUGHTS AND TIPS CONCERNING RULES FOR THE CLASSROOM & PLAYGROUND AND TEACHING  911:

*One of my website visitors (who has taught for almost 20 years) told me that on her rules chart, she uses the words "Gentle Touching" -- I like that.

*From Norma in Minnesota:
I have been taught that the simpler the better.  We have four rules in our room: Listening Ears, Quiet Voices, Walking Feet, and Friendly Hands.  We spend the first few weeks reminding and reviewing.

*From Melinda, in Ontario, Canada: Remember, using positive words is most important.  Instead of saying "Don't run in the classroom," say something like "Your feet are meant for walking in the classroom."

*From Becky, teacher in Vermont: Here's a jingle I sing when on the playground and the children aren't using the slide in a safe way: UP THE STAIRS AND DOWN THE SLIDE - THAT'S THE WAY WE PLAY OUTSIDE

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