Early childhood educators can help children understand the meaning of being safe and how to keep themselves safe. People have different perceptions of what staying safe means. Exploring these in a group discussion is a great idea.
Safety can mean washing germs off your hands, knowing what to do in an emergency, giving others consent to touch your body, or curling up in bed during a thunderstorm. Feeling safe and secure is a good thing.
NQS and EYLF
The National Quality Standard requires early childhood education providers to ensure each child is protected (2.2).
The Early Years Learning Framework aims for children to feel safe, secure and supported (1.1), and interact in relation to others with care, empathy and respect (1.4). The EYLF promotes social and emotional wellbeing (3.1) and asks children to develop strategies to support their own mental and physical health and personal safety (3.3).
Learning experiences
Role-play emergency services
Children can dress up as people in the emergency services and act out scenarios:
- Rescue a kitten from a tree
- Save someone from a burning building
- Tell a driver they are going too fast
- Drive a sick person safely to hospital
Role-play being kind
First, brainstorm scenarios where someone might need help (e.g. a child has fallen in the playground or they don't have any friends to play with). Next, act out ways to resolve each of these scenarios through kindness.
Learn about staying safe
Teach children how to stay safe in specific situations. Investigate safety equipment and ask a professional to visit your centre for a talk.
- Bike safety
- Water safety
- Sun safety
Learn about dangerous items
Babies and toddlers can learn about safety too! Take them on a tour of your play areas and identify potential hazards (e.g. we only go into the kitchen with an adult). Next, introduce them to age-appropriate items like scissors or large wooden blocks. Demonstrate how to play with them safely.
Hold a fire drill
If your children are interested in safety and security, this is the perfect time to hold a fire drill!
Make a list of classroom rules
Ask children to brainstorm rules to keep everyone safe. Write them down on a large piece of paper and display them on a wall. After a while, have a discussion. Have these rules helped keep us safe?
Explore emotions
Children's emotions are connected to being secure. Read books, hold discussions and play games (e.g. flash cards and puzzles) about different feelings.
Interactions
Talk to children regularly and spontaneously about common dangers. Weave the topic of safety into everyday conversations, not just when a child is about to hurt themselves.
- "What might happen if we drop this glass jar on the cement?"
- "Why aren't children allowed in the kitchen? What types of dangerous things are kept in there?"
- "I am washing my hands so I don’t spread germs."