G - Growing Up Safe

Gg Growing Up Safe

Letter: G

Number: 7

Shape: Stars

Color: White

Children need to be taught about safety from a trusted and caring adult. Safety is not something that comes naturally to children and this packet is a great source of information to help you teach them. They will be instructed to learn and memorize their full name, full address, phone number, parents and grand parents information, etc. They will have fun learning about safety tips when in public, what to do if they get lost, who to trust, what a stranger is, bicycle safety, automobile safety, electrical dangers, boating and swimming safety and fire safety. They will learn to say NO! A must for every child in today’s society. It contains reproducible patterns and worksheets, songs, fingerplays, poems and games. The packet also has activities that cover the letter G, number 7, a color and up and down.

Letter and Number Activities:
Use the provided letter G outline to do one of the following:

Fill the outline with pictures cut from magazines that begin with the letter G.

Make a gravel print, lay the outline over gravel, rub chalk or a crayon across it to get a pattern.

Make several Gs with a marker or pen inside the outline.

Fill outline with ghost stickers or stickers of items that begin wit G.

Using the number 7 outline do one of the following:

Place 7 stickers in the outline.

Color it 7 different colors.

Color it and cut it into 7 pieces to make a puzzle.

Color and Shape Activities:
Cut 8" stars from poster board. Have the children place their hand in paint and make their handprints on the star. Title the star, "A Class of Stars" or something similar.

Printout out 4" star outlines on cover paper. Cut out the stars, cut a hole in the middle of the star. Place a picture of the "star" (child's face) behind the star so it frames the photo, or cut the photo so it is round and glue in the middle of the star. If you want the shape to last have it laminated after gluing on the photo.

Make up a shape activity of your own.

Safety Crossing the Street:
Adults need to be consistent and very firm when teaching street crossing safety. Children like to run ahead and don’t often take the dangers of crossing the street seriously. Remember, they learn by example.

Here are some basic guidelines to help your learn about crossing the street:
Always:
Hold on to an adult’s hand.
Cross only at corners.
Recognize the stop light signals and walk and don’t walk symbols.
Cross where a crossing guard is when going to school, obey their rules.

Practice:
Crossing the street.
Practice Stop, Look, Listen
Go for a walk and cross four or more streets

Bike Riding Safety:
Learn about bicycle safety. Try on a helmet, elbow and knee pads. Discuss how you can make sure you are safe when riding your bike. Remember to always tell your parents when riding your bike away from your own home and always tell them where you are going. Make sure your bicycle is the right size for you. Have your bicycle checked over to make sure it is in good condition. Learn how to add air to the tires. If you have the option available, have your bicycle licensed, most police stations do this.

Bike Day
Have the child get their bike along with their helmet. Provide them with crepe paper steamers and balloons, let the child decorate their bike with. Don’t forget the playing cards and clothespins to attach to the wheels!

Always wear a helmet

Make sure the helmet fits properly and is one designed for biking. Try on a bike helmet to see how it feels.

Always stop before entering the street.

Make sure there are no cars coming from either direction.

Always ride on the right side of the road.

You should ride in the same direction as the traffic. If you don’t and you make a right turn you could get hit. It is not safe to ride against traffic.

Always obey the traffic laws.

Bike rules are the same as for cars. You must stop at red lights and stop signs.

Don’t fool around.

Always ride in a straight line. Don’t weave or swerve, you could get hit by a car. Don’t ride to close to a car, or hang on to a car when it is moving.

Don’t ride at night without the proper gear.

Always wear light colored clothing and have reflectors on yourself and your bike. Your bike should have a front light and a rear reflector.

Practice.
Ride your bike and follow the rules above.

Signs:
Use the sign worksheet included in the packet. Identify each sign, color them the correct colors. When you are done you can cut them out and paste them on a background or make a mobile. Take a drive or a walk and find other signs. Learn about all the signs you find. Make up a sentence about each sign. Example: When a light turns red I must stop. Make up a new sign to post on the door, design it so it is simple like the ones on the worksheet. Decide what color it should be and what the sign means. Example: a picture of a black roller blade with the no symbol over it in red. The sign would mean no roller blades allowed inside.

Stranger Safety:
What is a stranger? Anyone you don't know. Talk about strangers and what you should do if a stranger approaches you. Learn that strangers can ask very nice questions to gain your trust, but you should never let that fool you. They might ask things like, "will you help me find my little dog, he is lost", "your parents want me to take you home because there was an accident", "would you like a piece of candy"? Practice saying NO and running away from the stranger.

Have child answer the following questions about strangers. You may be surprised by their answers. Write their answers beside each question for later reference.

1. What is a stranger? _______________________________________________________________

2. Is a pretty lady a stranger? ________________________________________________________

3. Is a nice teenage boy a stranger? ___________________________________________________

4. Is the neighbor man a stranger? ____________________________________________________

5. Is someone looking for their dog a stranger? __________________________________________

Often children think of strangers as people who look strange or scary. Very often they do not think a pretty lady, a teenage boy or a person looking for their lost dog fall in the stranger category. It takes a lot to convince some children that these people would be strangers.

Play What If
Pretend you are a stranger and ask the child the following questions.

What if you have never met me and I ask you to help find my lost dog?
What if you have never met me and I ask for directions?
What if you have never met me and I want to give you money or candy.
What if I tell you I am a policeman but I am not wearing my uniform today.

Safety Tips
If you get lost there are places you can dial home from (home, any house, hotel, pay phone, etc.). Learn about the operator and dialing "0", (zero). Memorize your phone number with area code.

If a stranger - someone you don't know, tries to get you into a car - Don't get in, get away as fast as you can and tell an adult. Never hide in the bushes, run to a lighted area or to a group of people.

Never wear clothing that has your name displayed, strangers learn your name that way.

Never take shortcuts, always take the same way to and from school.

If a stranger - someone you don't know tries to take you away - Scream, yell "your not my mom, your not my dad, I don't know you"

If you get separated from your parents in a store - Go to a checkout counter and tell the cashier.

If someone tries to touch you in ways you don't like or ways that scare you - Say "NO, I will tell", then go tell someone you trust. The person you can trust will keep you safe.

If you are going outside - Tell your parents and don't go outside alone.

Personal Information:
Practice saying full name (first, middle, last).
Learn and practice full address (house #, street, city, state, zip).
Learn and practice phone number (area code, phone number).
Learn about 9-1-1

Use the Child Information sheet included in the packet to make a current record of the child. Fill in all the areas with the most current information regarding the child.

Obtain a kit from McGruff

McGruff Safe Kids Identification Kit 1-800-288-3344
P.O. Box 931 - Wayzata, MN 55291

Automobile Safety:
Practice getting in an automobile and buckling your own seat belt. Talk about the best place to ride - back seat. Mini quiz:

What might happen if we are out of our seat belts and the car stops quickly?

What might happen if we are sitting in an unsafe area of the car such as in front of an air bag?

If we see our parents or another family member not using their seat belt what should we do?

Practice opening and closing the car door safely. Talk about how unsafe it is to get in the trunk of a car.

Electrical Safety:
Learn that small children should never try to plug in any type of electrical appliance. What do we do if we need something like our tape player plugged in? If mom has her curling iron or blow dryer on the sink should we use the sink to wash our hands? If we see wires laying from a pole to the ground in the yard or the street what do we do?

Playing Outside:
Remember that you never go outside without asking your parents first. Tell them where you will be playing, backyard, front yard, driveway, etc. How can we protect ourselves from cars if we are playing in the driveway? Do an enactment of what you should do if playing in the driveway and a car wishes to enter the driveway. Learn about the "buddy" system. Who can our buddies be?

Boating - Swimming Safety:
Practice putting on a life vest. Learn what a life vest is meant to do. If possible get in a swimming pool or a lake wearing a life vest to see what happens. While at the swimming pool or the lake, learn about water safety. Learn why we wear a life vest every time we are in a boat, even with mom and dad.

Fire Safety:
Call your local Allstate Insurance Office and ask for their free “Fire Safety Video and Kit” Watch the fire safety video. Read and color the pictures in the book that accompanies the video, be sure to tell the agent how many books you need. Practice dialing 9-1-1 (be sure to unhook the phone first). Visit your local 9-1-1 facility and meet the community helpers that would answer your call in an emergency. Receive a "Deputy Fire Marshal" certificate, also available from Allstate free of charge.

Other Possible Topics:

Playground safety, burn prevention, pedestrian safety, sports safety, sitter safety.

Obtain several books on safety from the library/

Songs, Poems, Games:

Songs Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are,
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky
Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are.

My Name Is
(Mary Had A Little Lamb) (or use a familiar tune that better fits your syllables)
My name is FIRST MIDDLE LAST,
FIRST MIDDLE LAST, FIRST MIDDLE LAST
My name is FIRST MIDDLE LAST
I am ____ years old.

I live at 123 State Street
123 State Street, 123 State Street
I live at 123 State Street
In St. Johns, Michigan

To call home dial 517-220-9999
Dial 517-220-9999

In an emergency dial 9-1-1
9-1-1, 9-1-1
In an emergency dial 9-1-1
Or "0" (zero) for operator.

Firefighters (one little, two little, three little Indians)
One little, two little, three little firefighters
Four little, five little, six little firefighters
Seven little, eight little, nine little firefighters
What brave heroes they are.

Stranger (I’m Little Tea Pot)
I don’t know you, your a stranger,
I have learned about stranger danger.
I have been taught to run away,
I practice safety everyday.

Safety Song (Mary Had A Little Lamb)

When I ride my bike, I wear my helmet, wear my helmet, wear my helmet When I ride my bike I wear my helmet, each and every day.

When on a boat I wear a life jacket, wear a life jacket, wear a life jacket
When on a boat I wear a life jacket, each and every day.

When I see a stranger, I turn and run, turn and run, turn and run
When I see a stranger I turn and run, each and every day.

When riding in a car, I wear my seat belt, wear my seat belt, wear my seat belt
When in the car I wear my seat belt, each and every day.

Make up another verse or two on your own.

Poems:

Our Friend
The policeman had many jobs
They never seem to end
But this you must remember
The policeman is your friend

Make up your own poem about safety.

Games:
Use the Stop and Go signs included in the packet. Color the go - green and the stop - red. Cut them out, glue them back to back with a tongue depressor as a handle in between them. Play Stop and Go.

One person is the sign holder, the rest form a line at a starting point. The person with the sign holds it behind their back and then shows one side of the sign. If it the green - go side everyone runs toward the sign holder as quick as possible. Then the sign holder turns the sign to red - stop and everyone stops in their tracks. Repeat this until one child reaches a finish line.