Safety kids activities: Safety Games for Kids Make Learning Fun

Safety Games for Kids Make Learning Fun

Photo by Amanda Worrall / Stocksy

By Rachel Ward

“What comes after the letter C?”

We’re betting you’ve already started the process of teaching your preschooler alphabet letters or numbers to prep for kindergarten (good job, parents!)—but those ABCs and 123s are also crucial for helping kids learn the basics of safety.

Hopefully your preschooler is already familiar with your name and phone number in case they get lost, but there’s another number they should have memorized: 911.

“Introducing preschoolers to the basics of safety, such as knowing when and how to call 911, is just as important as teaching them early science and math skills, social-emotional skills, and literacy,” says Linda Nelson from KinderCare’s Education team.

That’s why in our current unit, our focus is all about health and safety—because we want the kids in our care to be well-prepared for any safety issues they may encounter and to know who to call when they need help.

Enter a fun, safety-themed game of hopscotch!

This Number Game for 5-Year-Olds Teaches Them How to Call 911

Kids get to practice their coordination skills as they hop through a grid, but there’s an added twist: to only hop on squares that are labeled with a one or a nine in honor of that all-important phone number—911.

“We use activities like this in our curriculum because we know that children will remember information more easily when it’s connected to something fun—like a more challenging game of hopscotch,” explains Nelson.

By focusing on identifying specific numbers—one and nine—children are reinforcing what those two numbers look like, making it more likely that should they ever need to dial 911, they’ll find those numbers quickly and easily. Not to mention, they’re also gaining familiarity with the other numbers on the hopscotch grid, which just makes it easier for them when they start kindergarten!

We’re keeping preschoolers learning about safety at our centers, but there’s some easy ways you can do the same at home. Try some of our quick and easy tips!

Keepin’ It Real (Fun): 4 Safety Activities to Do at Home

1. Practice the “stop, drop, and roll” technique

Crucial for fire safety, the “stop, drop, and roll” can make all the difference—and be a really fun game for your high-energy preschooler. Once they have the hang of it, turn it into a spontaneous game you play at odd times, like while watching TV or getting ready for school. When your child remembers the routine at the drop of a hat, they’re more likely to use it if they ever need it.

2. Play “Red Light, Green Light” with a twist

This childhood game is great for introducing preschoolers to the meanings of streetlights. Draw a red circle, yellow circle, and green circle on paper and then cut them out. Play a game of “Red Light, Yellow Light, Green Light” by holding up the colored circles instead of calling out directions!

Photo by David Hume Kennerly

3. Add safety into pretend play

Spark up a game of pretend play with a hospital, fire station, or police station theme! Join in the fun to help guide your preschooler in developing safety awareness: Has your preschooler encountered some trouble? What number should they call? Is your child a firefighter? What advice do they have for people trying to avoid the fire?

4.

Read some books and focus on safety

There are all sorts of ways to add safety into your story time routine. For instance, you could talk about stranger danger as you read Little Red Riding Hood, or the importance of avoiding sharp objects when reading Sleeping Beauty. There are also tons of safety-themed books you can look for, like Watch Out! At Home or  Watch Out! Around Town  by Claire Llewellyn. 

Safety

From KinderCare Educators

Classroom Curriculum

STEM

Pre-K

Kindergarten

Out And About With Kids

Fun With Science And Math

Learning In Our Classrooms

Preschool (3-5)

Fun Safety and Health Activities for Kids in Preschool

May 26, 2021

When it comes to teaching kids about health and safety, it may be hard to keep their attention – especially your youngest students. Thankfully teaching these life skills doesn’t have to be boring with these fun activities for preschoolers!

LifeCubby is the only childcare management software created by a center owner. Many of our team members know first-hand how to keep kids’ attention and make any learning experience a blast.

Here’s how you can make the not-so-exciting topics of health and safety subjects your kids will love – and learn lots from with these eight fun activities for preschoolers.

Safety Activities for Preschoolers

When it comes to safety, it’s important to teach your students the basics first. You can do that through these four safety activities for preschoolers:

• Stop, drop, and roll: This activity will teach your students the best way to protect themselves in a fire emergency. Begin by telling your students to stop (to prevent fanning the flames). Then, have them drop to the ground quickly and cover their faces with their hands to prevent facial burns. Ask them to lay flat with their legs out straight to smother any “flames.” Lastly, tell them to roll over with their hands above their heads to put out any remaining flames. Make sure to tell your students that it’s important to pay attention to what’s burning and focus on putting out that area of their bodies, should they ever experience this in real life. Add some upbeat music to turn it into a game and ensure your little ones are prepared in case of a heated event.
• Sun protection experiment: This simple activity is perfect for teaching sun safety! All you need is construction paper and sunscreen. Start by splitting the paper into two sides, labeling one “sunscreen” and the other “no sunscreen.” Then, spray your kids’ palms with sunscreen and press them onto the side of the paper labelled sunscreen. After that, wet their palms with some water and press them onto the “no sunscreen” side. Leave the papers outside in the sun for about two hours. You and your students will then be able to see the “no sunscreen” hand isn’t as visible as the sunscreen side. This is a great way to visually explain the importance of staying protected from the sun’s harmful rays.
• Dialing-in emergencies: Phones have evolved, but the right number to call in emergencies has always stayed the same. Teach your students how to dial 911 by writing numbers and symbols, as if they were on a keypad, with sticky notes arranged in the same order like this. You can also practice on a cell phone once they’re familiar with the activity. Just make sure airplane mode is on so it won’t dial out. 
• Water safety songs: Have your kids carry a tune about water safety with these fun songs. Songs are one of the best ways for children to remember key topics that stick with them for a long time. Your students can splash around the pool at home knowing how to avoid danger with the help of catchy lyrics!

Health Activities for Preschoolers

Teaching your students about living a healthy lifestyle is important for their development. Do just that with these four health activities for kids in preschool:

• Food sorting: It’s important for kids to develop good eating habits at an early age. This activity teaches that by having your students sort out the healthy foods they should be eating. After cutting out pictures of different foods, have your students choose which they believe are healthy options and glue them to a body-shaped drawing. This is a great opportunity for them to understand what food is good for them and why.
• Optimistic thinking cards: Empower your students by creating task cards with positive affirmations and discussion topics. These cards can focus on improving self-esteem, confidence building, and encouraging positive thinking skills. Whether your kids describe their best qualities or acknowledge what they’re proud of, they will master avoiding negativity while boosting themselves in the process. 
• Working out: Exercise reduces a significant amount of stress, including for young ones. This fitness activity uses the alphabet and their gross motor skills to make working out enjoyable. All you need to do is write the ABC’s on pieces of paper and mix them up all over the floor. Each letter has a movement for your kids to act out. Now your students can feel great about a new fitness routine!
• Visual expression: Having your kids color is one of the best ways your students can express themselves. This Color My Feelings printable activity is great because it combines colors and moods using the Dr. Suess book My Many Colored Days. Each color represents different emotions. By picking a color that matches various facial expressions, they can express themselves in a healthy and fun way. 

Want to ensure your students continue to learn health and safety basics even after they’ve left the classroom? Share these activities safety activities for preschoolers and health activities for preschoolers with parents so they can reinforce your lessons at home.

Don’t have a way to quickly get (and stay) in touch with families at your center? LifeCubby’s easy-to-use childcare management software can help. Click here to schedule a free demo today!

types, scenarios, themes and plans for activities for children

Entertainment for children is a great opportunity to please both kids and older children with or without reason. In recent years, parents have been inviting animators to the birthdays of younger family members or organizing outdoor children’s parties. To make the event for children fun and educational, you need to know what may interest a preschooler and what a teenager. You need to take into account all the nuances of the organization and be able to delegate your authority if necessary, and enjoy yourself with your family.

If your child is two years old or older, they may already be part of the holiday entertainment. The form of the event depends on the choice of the parents, and they, in turn, should be guided by the interests of the children.

There are many options for organizing a holiday.

• Houses. Particularly suitable for toddlers who may be frightened by unfamiliar noisy environments. But even older children may have a desire to celebrate a birthday or other holiday at home. To diversify home gatherings, you can call an animator in the guise of, for example, an astronaut or a fairy, who will provide an entertainment program on a selected topic.
• In an entertainment complex. The scenario of a children’s event in the entertainment center may include not only games with animators, but also slot machines, rollerdrome riding, bowling, hoverboards, trampolines, laser tag, air hockey and other entertainment that a particular complex can offer. All this can be combined into one big exciting program that will be remembered by children as one of the most fun holidays in their lives.
• Outdoors . In the warm season, you can have a big picnic in the park or by the nearby river. True, you will have to think about how to deliver food, props, and the participants of the holiday to the place. But at the same time, an outdoor event for a child’s birthday is one of the best gifts. You can also invite an animator to a picnic so that parents do not have to puzzle over the entertainment program themselves.

Note
In winter, you can also have a party outside, but then you will have to minimize your stay outside, and after entertainment, quickly send the children to a warm room. The duration of the event in this case will also be reduced due to the short daylight hours.

Fairy tales, sports, movies and dances: an approximate plan of events for children

When organizing children’s events, as well as any other, it is important to think through all the nuances in advance: who wants to fuss in the midst of the festival, solving problems that have suddenly arisen. It is necessary to create a menu taking into account the taste preferences of the guests, calculate the amount of food, take care of decorating the dishes and the table. It is necessary to draw up at least an approximate scenario for the event, which will include all the planned games for children and breaks for rest and a banquet.

If parents don’t want to shoulder all the worries about organization and entertainment, it is better to seek help from a specialist. During the animation, the children’s attention will be occupied, and adults will be able to relax a little, eat in peace, watch how the kids participate in fun contests, or do something else: for example, play billiards.

The theme of the children’s event should be chosen depending on the age and interests of the children. Classical relay races and dance competitions? Or maybe games based on Disney cartoons? Quizium or quest? If the party is not intended as a surprise, let the child choose the theme himself – why not?

Fairy tale, cartoon or movie themes: princesses and heroes

Favorite characters from cartoons, fairy tales, movies or comics are a sure bet. Especially if you do not just call the animators dressed as Spider-Man and Rapunzel, but invite the children to transform into heroes themselves. This may be included in the complex program of the holiday: animators help children change clothes and put on makeup, and then the children participate in contests and games. Animators can use soap bubbles or balloons, make riddles, introduce cognitive elements, for example, in a playful way, talking about the world around them.

You can save pleasant memories in material terms by inviting a professional photographer who will take pictures during the program. The shots taken during the games will turn out to be lively and emotional. And those who wish can pose in costumes separately. For older children, you can organize a “red carpet” and a press wall.

Note
The services of photographers from children’s entertainment complexes can cost much less than hiring a third-party specialist. So if you don’t have a specific photographer in mind, don’t miss out on the opportunity to save.

The menu of the play event for children must be appropriate. For example, you can decorate a cake with an image of a cartoon character or order cookies in the form of fairy-tale characters. However, do not forget that the children’s table should be not only tasty, but also useful. In addition to all kinds of sweets, add more fruits to the menu, and harmful soda should be replaced with natural compotes and fresh juices. And, of course, take care of hot dishes.

Sports competitions, military theme: faster, higher, stronger

Relay races, outdoor competitions, rope parks, rollerdrome riding and trampolining… If a child is full of energy and ready to constantly run and jump, then the topic of sports competitions is for him. Let the children come in comfortable clothes, and the animators will help add items of equipment if necessary for safety. As part of the entertainment program, you can arrange a game in an army club and complement the clothes and make-up of children with military elements.

The program includes tests for speed, courage and dexterity. It will be interesting for children to participate in games in the format of sports competitions – with medals and other awards. The organization of a children’s sports event also involves games in groups, the development of a team spirit. At the end of the holiday, you can arrange an awards ceremony for the best athletes and take pictures in outfit.

It would be logical to include more healthy food in the menu: fruits, vegetables, compotes — and tell the children why it is good to eat these particular foods. Of course, the food should also be hearty: after outdoor games, children will get hungry.

Everyone dances: activities for active people

Whether your child is into dancing or not, the program with outdoor games to music is suitable for all artistic children who like to attract everyone’s attention. The holiday can be arranged in the style of street dances, hip-hop battles, American country dance parties.

Animators will help you add event-themed elements to the children’s clothing, such as caps or cowboy hats. And if you use face painting, not only a lot of fun is provided, but also funny photos. The host can tell the children interesting facts about dancing and, of course, arrange many competitions: team entertainment, competition for the best movement, and so on. As in a sporting event, an awards ceremony can be held at the end with the accompaniment of a professional photographer.

Party table with pizza and burgers, vegetables, chicken nuggets, milkshakes, ice cream – a tasty and satisfying menu for young dancers.

Knowledge is power: educational activities for children

Fans of intellectual games will appreciate the educational activities. This is not only fun entertainment, but also an opportunity to get to know the world around you better, hear interesting facts from history, geography, physics, chemistry and mechanics, and participate in scientific experiments.

For the smartest and smartest – quizzes, riddles, intellectual contests and safe experiments. Of course, the winners are solemnly awarded with diplomas, certificates and sweet prizes. In order for children to learn something new in practice, you can arrange a master class, for example, soap making or clay modeling. The children will be able to take the finished crafts with them as a keepsake of the fun holiday, where they learned so many interesting things.

Nuances of organizing children’s events and holidays

These and other activities for children can be easily organized if you have experience in planning holidays.

If it is not there, you should focus on the list of what must be provided.

• Choosing the right place that has everything you need for your chosen themed event for children. For example, a sports theme may suggest the presence of a trampoline or rollerdrome. Keep in mind that in most cases you will have to pay rent.
• Animation. It is better to entrust children’s entertainment to a professional who knows how to keep their attention and select games that are best suited for children of the appropriate age.
• Catering , i.e. catering. You will need to buy or order food in advance and make sure that it is fresh and, if necessary, hot by the time it is served.

Note
It is important not only to create a menu, but also to organize a place where children will eat. It is necessary to take care of sufficiently large tables and comfortable chairs, because for kids you can’t arrange a buffet table – they need good nutrition. So, it is important to place them comfortably and give them the opportunity to eat slowly.

Fortunately, it is not always necessary to arrange everything yourself. Many agencies and entertainment centers offer the organization of a turnkey celebration: it already includes the services of organizers and animators, a festive table and everything else.

Organizing events for children is not an easy task. But if you know all the subtleties, then you can easily arrange a birthday or graduation party for your child, which he will remember with pleasure for many years to come. In companies involved in children’s holidays, you will be offered ready-made options, in which you will no longer need to add anything.

“Safe” children’s entertainment. – Zabaikalsky TsSM

Game rooms have become popular children’s establishments, which are located both in large shopping centers and separately. For a fixed fee, the child will be happy to stay in such an institution, and his mother will be able to do her favorite shopping without worries.

Also, a children’s playground is an attribute of almost every modern yard.

It is important to know what are the requirements for a children’s playroom and what to do if a child is injured in it.

There are many factors that affect the safety of a child while on the playground. Starting from the banal reliability of certain structural elements, ending with how the individual components of the site were stored, what kind of coating was used.

In order to prevent harm to the life and health of children, to exclude the causes of child injuries in the territories of children’s playgrounds, the EAEU Technical Regulation 042/2017 “On the safety of equipment for children’s playgrounds” came into force on November 17, 2018 (hereinafter TR EAEU 042 /2017), which establishes mandatory requirements for the safety of equipment and (or) coating for children’s playgrounds, and related processes of design, production, installation, operation, storage, transportation and disposal. From 12/01/2021, according to the Decision of the EEC Board, it is prohibited to manufacture and put into circulation products that do not meet the mandatory requirements and without documents on conformity assessment with the requirements of TR EAEU 042/2017. Circulation of products manufactured and put into circulation before 12/01/2021 is allowed during the designated service life of such products, established by operational documents. Safety requirements TR EAEU 042/2017 applies to shock-absorbing coating, equipment for children’s playgrounds, put into circulation for the first time in the customs territory of the Eurasian Economic Union and placed both outdoors and indoors (slides, swings, rocking chairs, carousels, cable cars , as well as children’s towns, including stairs, sandboxes, houses, labyrinths.0007

Operation of equipment that does not meet safety requirements leads to a threat of harm to the life and health of children!

At the end of the designated service life, the operation of the equipment must be discontinued, regardless of the technical condition of the equipment.

The operator (legal or natural person, including an individual entrepreneur) operating the equipment and (or) coatings and ensuring their compliance with the requirements of TR EAEU 042/2017 from the moment the children’s playground was put into operation) must monitor the condition of the playground and regularly carry out its inspection with the execution of relevant documents.

Equipment and (or) coating that meets the requirements of TR EAEU 042/2017 and has passed the conformity assessment procedure are marked with a single mark of product circulation on the Union market.

Equipment and (or) coating for children’s playgrounds produced and put into operation before the entry into force of TR EAEU 042/2017 must comply with the mandatory requirements of state standards.

It is important for parents to understand which organization to file a complaint with if a child is or may have been injured.

• The District Administration and the Management Company are responsible for checking violations of safety rules;
• Specialists of the Department of Rospotrebnadzor control children’s playgrounds only in children’s organized institutions that provide paid services;
• And if necessary, for example, if the child has already been injured, an application can be submitted to the prosecutor’s office.

Owners of shopping centers, heads of HOAs should definitely pay attention to this regulation, because ensuring the safety of children visiting their playgrounds is their main priority.