Road Safety in Kindy

Danielle Howton
Honeywood Primary School
60

The students in Kindy have been learning about people who help us in our community this term.

In E4 we created a play village of buildings, including a hospital, ambulance station, fire station and skyscraper, as well as creating a range of ‘box vehicles’ for children to use. These props, which included puppets of community helpers, presented lots of authentic opportunities to discuss a range of safety issues, such as who to ask for help if you get lost, crossing the road safely, and general road user rules.

The classroom rules for the box vehicles included not speeding past activity tables where children were working, only ‘driving’ in one direction, and not ‘driving’ in certain classroom areas, such as the mat and block corner.

A discussion about crossing the road in designated places, such as zebra crossings and using crossing guards, also evolved as children negotiated rules. As times when some students became too enthusiastic in their play, classmates took it upon themselves to use the policeman puppet to issue warnings about speeding, and also to help classmates negotiate the ‘roads’ within the classroom, acting as crossing guards.

This play allowed the introduction and recognition of a range of road safety signs, including the red and green signals on pedestrian crossings, the meaning of the colours on traffic lights, stop signs, and what their parents should do if they are driving and hear emergency sirens.

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James (Your Move)

This looks like a really fun hands-on lesson. I've scored it as a Classroom Activity (15 points) and given you a bonus 20 for giving enough details for other schools to replicate this, as well as 15 points for your innovation. Did you get any materials or ideas from SDERA, or was it all your own creation?

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Danielle

Hi James. The idea was purely the kindy teachers. She is very creative.

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