Sometimes people need help, even our children. Isn’t it nice to know that many of our community helpers are there to help the children? It is our job as parents to teach our children that there are people whose jobs are to help keep them safe. Preschoolers can learn basic safety guidelines by understanding what police, firefighters, and weather forecasters do when they are working. Begin this learning process by reading about these community helpers via books, discuss what you read, and do a few activities to implement this teachable moment.
Police Officers Help in Emergencies
What can you do in an emergency? How do police officers keep us safe? Help the children to answer these questions by reading stories (my favorite way to teach) and then hold a discussion. Author Gail Gibbons has a book named Emergency! that shows preschoolers how police vehicles rescue people, carry emergency equipment, and call for backup to take sick people to the hospital. The police also have helicopters and boats that are ready to go where needed. Other books on what police do include, Keeping You Safe: A Book About Police Officers by Ann Owens, Let’s Meet a Police Officer by Gina Bellisario, and Police Officers Help Us by Aaron R. Murray.
Firefighters Keep Us Safe Too
Do your children know what to do in case of fire? What action would the kids take if there were a fire at home? First, teach your preschoolers about what to do if their clothing catches fire. Role-play “Stop, Drop, and Roll†as a way to stop burning clothes. Remind them also to stay low to the ground when they leave a burning house. Talk about why people need to extinguish campfires so brush fires do not begin. Again, enforce learning about fire and how firefighters help people through books. Gail Gibbons authored a book, Fire, Fire! This book shows preschoolers pictures of the different types of equipment used to help fight fires on land and in the water. Also read the following books about firefighters for extended learning: Firefighters: Speeding! Spraying! Saving! by Patricia Hubbell, A Day in the Life of a Firefighter by Heather Adamson, and Jobs People Do — A Day in a Life of a Firefighter by Linda Hayward.
Weather Forecasters Help Keep Children Safe
Who would think that a weather forecaster is a community helper that keeps us safe? But, with their forecasts delivered by TV, radio, or even the best weather apps for smartphones, children will learn if they need a raincoat or a winter coat to stay warm, or if a dangerous storm is on its way. Knowing what to expect with weather helps parents and children prepare for the day. Read about the people who predict the weather in Lynda De Witt’s book, What Will the Weather Be? Other books include: Weather Forecasting by Gail Gibbons, The Weather — An Educational Weather Book for Kids by Logan Franklin, and a whimsical book, Freddy the Forecaster by Janice Dean.
Make it a habit to watch the news together as a family and see how weather forecasters as community helpers work and inform us with weather news to keep us safe and comfortable.