Helping to promote road safety

Traffic Education for Young Children Resources YEAR 1

Traffic education is a learning process involving skills and concepts that ultimately develop the right attitudes to Road Safety. Education is concerned with the development of the whole child, which must include the safety of children in our care, many of whom are vulnerable, particularly when exposed to the environment beyond school. Below are some practical Objectives and Activities that will help all primary school teachers to illustrate the key areas of Road Safety Education in the National Curriculum.

1. OBJECTIVE

Children should know they must not cross roads unless accompanied by an adult and should always hold hands. SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES l Use a story or picture to set off discussion about staying close to an adult and holding hands l Play games where adults and children hold hands. Parents could be asked to join in. l Sing Songs focusing on hands l Start art activities related to hands ELABORATION OF SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES l Discussion points: When is it difficult to hold hands? When mummy is carry shopping or pushing a chair. What could the children do instead? Hold on to the shopping basket or handle of a pushchair. When are children likely to forget? E.g. when they are distracted by seeing a friend or hearing an ice cream van. l For example: Ring a-ring of roses, Oranges and Lemons, Farmers in his den, Looby Loo. l For example: If your happy and you know it, Hands to work and feet to run, Five Speckled frogs. l With crayons draw around each others hands, cut out and mount. Dip hands in paint and make patterns on paper, Make a frieze of hands using different colours.

2. OBJECTIVE

Children should be able to identify different types of vehicles that use the road. SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES l Use pictures, books, posters to identify different types of vehicles. Encourage children to categorise by type, size, colour etc. l Take children outside to observe traffic ( encourage parents with supervison).Conduct a simple traffic count. l Sorting and sequencing activities. l Display a variety of model toy vehicles. Encourage children to name and label. l Art activities related to vehicles, Draw cars, lorries, buses, bikes, fire engines, ambulances etc. l Mime different vehicles and the sounds they make. l Sing songs about different vehicles.

ELABORATION OF ACTIVITIES l Learn the names of different vehicles and discuss their various uses. Stress that all vehicles can be dangerous. l Divide children into groups. Each group looks for one vehicle type e. g one for cars, one for lorries, etc. Children thread coloured beads onto a piece of string to denote passing of vehicles. Display string on a frieze. l Put toy vehicles into sets, by colour, type, size etc l For example: Make a scrap - book of vehicles. These can be cut outs from magazines or childrens drawings or paintings. Make model vehicles from cartons, boxes, paper etc. l For example: Wheels on the bus.

3. OBJECTIVE

Children should understand that the road is for traffic and the pavement is for people. SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES l Use pictures or posters to show by discussion that roads are for traffic, pavements are for people l Organise, with parents help a walk on the pavement. Art activities arising from the walk could be undertaken as a follow up. l Set work related to roads and pavements l Using P.E. mats to represent pavements, play games where children have to seek the safety of the pavement. Children could divide into two groups, Pedestrians and vehicles. ELABORATION OF ACTIVITIES l Also discuss correct behaviour for walking on pavements (walk dont run). Where should we walk if there is no pavement? l Discuss what children saw when they were out. Art activities could include: l Frieze showing pavement, kerb, road and street furniture. Children to label. Draw or paint pictures of the street. Texture rubbings of different surfaces. l Discuss why dogs are kept on leads and the problems that could occur if they were let loose.

4. OBJECTIVE

Children should understand that the kerb is the place to stop. SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES l If possible go out and physically identify the kerb or simulate a road in the playground. Point out that the kerb is the place to stop. l Encourage children to think about their feet and legs which aid their movement l Art activities related to feet, the pavement and kerb. l Collect pictures and discuss all types of kerbs, e.g. driveways, and stress that all children must stop at kerbs. l Have a display of boots, shoes, and Wellingtons etc ELABORATION OF ACTIVITIES l Discuss where to stand. Point out the danger of standing too close to the edge. Vehicles can come very close and sometimes mount the pavement. l Play games such as musical statues where children dance to music and stop when the music stops or at the sound of a vehicle. Try different kinds of movement - walking, hopping, skipping, jumping and running. Discuss which is the safest when on the pavement. Which is the easiest movement as far as sudden stopping is concerned?

l Make a frieze of footprints. Children could draw around there own feet, cut out, paint, and position them on the frieze. Make a trail of footprints leading from the classroom to outside. Make models of pavements and kerbs from shoe box lids. Children could also make models of their house to put on the pavement. l Examine different tread patterns. Discuss their characteristics and the need for good grip to avoid slipping when near road traffic.

5. OBJECTIVE

Children should be able to name safe places to play and should also know those places where not to play. SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES l Make a display of photographs of the places in the playground where pupils like to play, but without the pupils present. Talk about why they like those particular places, and what sorts of games they play in them. These pictures could be placed on a plan of the playground. l Make a list of the games pupils play outside, ex for skipping, and chasing games. l Visit a park or childrens playground and use photographs of children playing on swings, roundabouts etc to trigger discussion about playing outside and playing safely. l Using pictures and posters, identify places where it might be dangerous to play. ELABORATION OF ACTIVITIES l Ask the children if their parents play games, what games they play and where they play them? Identify games with areas, Tennis with courts, Football with pitch etc l Select two teams and organize a game of tag within a restrictive area-like within two parallel chalk lines or schoolyard court. l Let the children draw what they see in the playground and make a display. l Explain the dangers of playing anywhere near the open road.
ROADMASTER ROAD SAFETY EQUIPMENT IS DESIGNED TO TEACH ALL ASPECTS OF ROAD SAFETY