How to Teach Fire Prevention
Fire prevention is a very important topic to teach to children, especially in the younger grades. It is important they learn not to panic but to follow a procedure so their chances of being safe are much higher. Have fun with the lessons and stress they are important, but don't frighten the children in any way. October is Fire Safety Month and a good time to present a fire-safety lesson.
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Instructions
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In the Classroom
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Start out your lesson with the "Elmo Visits the Firehouse" DVD. It gives children a look inside a firehouse with explanations of the types of trucks and protective gear the firefighters wear. When the station is called to a fire, Elmo and friends see the firefighters in action and learn some good safety procedures.
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Read books to the children on fire safety. Some well-loved characters such as Barney and Curious George have books about visiting fire stations. There are books available on fire drills and fire trucks. Children's author Richard Scarry has written a book about "A Day at the Fire Station." "Fire! Fire! said Mrs. McGuire" is a fun, rhyming book that presents firefighters' work in a relaxed setting.
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Invite visitors and guest speakers to your classroom. Check whether the local fire department or volunteer fire department would be willing to bring some gear or even the fire trucks by for the kids to see. Some fire departments have fire-safety trailers where kids are shown demonstrations of fire hazards and given safety tips.
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Practice the fire-safety rules. Stop! Drop! and Roll! means so much more if you actually allow the kids to practice the procedure. Stay Low and Go is another good slogan for remembering to crawl to safety so the kids don't breathe in smoke that will rise in a fire. Have a fire drill to practice proper behavior during a drill or in the event of a real fire.
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Allow the kids time to process the information they have been receiving. Lego and Duplo have great fire station sets for kids to play with and practice fire safety skills on. Magnetic fire station sets and reusable sticker sets are also available.
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Check out DLTK for Kids website (see Resources). This is a great website for parents and teachers with loads of craft ideas, songs and printables for holidays and themes. The link goes directly to Fire Safety sections, which include puzzles, crafts, songs, hats and coloring pages.
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Tips & Warnings
Kids need time to process information. Let them ask questions and keep fire safety materials available for several weeks.
Just be careful not to frighten kids but show them prevention is important.
