June is National Safety Month and, if you're looking for a fun and useful unit to explore with your kiddos as you transition from spring to summer, we highly recommend spending some time on safety! Road safety, pedestrian safety, bike safety, sun safety, water safety, stranger danger, internet safety, fire safety, bus safety, and any other topics that are relevant to your preschoolers.
Road and pedestrian safety is especially important to cover since your curious, and often impulsive, 4- and 5-year-olds might not yet understand how inattention and bad decisions can lead to severe injury - e.g. how following the trail of rain puddles in the grocery store parking lot, instead of staying by the cart, can put them directly into the path of traffic and a driver that doesn't see them. The editors of Twiggle Magazine included a street safety article in their September features that offers a great introduction to making smart decisions both inside the car and out!
Using Byron Barton's children's story, My Car, as a jumping off point, students are invited to listen to the story with purpose and keep track of what Sam does to keep safe on the streets. These topics are then further explored through visual aids, music & movement, and pretend play! By the end of the lesson, you and your students will have explored;
- Road signs and how they work to keep us safe
- Car safety features
- How passenger behavior can affect driver concentration and safety
- The concept of speed
- Pedestiran safety
Not only that, hopefully by the end of the lesson your preschoolers should have a better grasp of how their behavior and decisions can directly influence their safety!
For the full article and lesson plan, be sure to visit Twiggle Magazine!