Spark some fun with these fire safety theme week activities. They are sure to ignite some learning and laughter.
Why Teach Preschoolers About Fire Safety
Emergency Readiness
It is no surprise to anyone that the biggest reason to teach fire safety is so that if your child is in an emergency, they know what to do.
Confidence Building
When little ones know a plan is in place for an emergency, they can focus their energy on other things. Their easy confidence is key to ensuring that your family’s fire safety plan works as intended.
If little ones are too scared or upset to meet at the designated spot or to call for help, they are putting themselves in danger.
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Fire Prevention
Prevention is the key to keeping everyone safe. Have your little ones learn about what could cause fires. Teach the dangers of playing with fire (even at a campfire).
Fire prevention starts with good adult role models. Little ones are all too eager to copy what we do.
Family Safety
Fire safety isn’t just for kids. During a fire safety themed week, it is the perfect time to devise an emergency plan for the whole family.
Create a meeting spot and practice with fire drills at home (as silly as that may sound).
Recognize Firefighters
If your child were to be injured, knowing what firefighters look like in gear could be life-saving. Little ones will know that although firefighters look and sound different, they are there to help.
Books For Fire Safety Theme
There are many wonderful books to use during a fire safety theme. We have a post filled with community helper books to help you plan.
Firefighters A to Z and No Dragons for Tea are both great additions to a fire safety theme.
Fire Safety Theme Activities
Community Helper Hats and Dress Up
Print off some firefighter hats to bring fire safety to life. Little ones will love dressing up as a fire chief as they fight (pretend) fires.
Provide a red coat and boots for kids to dress up as firefighters.
Stop, Drop, and Roll Freeze Dance
Play music and let your little one dance. When the music stops, have them stop, drop, and roll. When you pause the music, you can say, “You’re on fire” or something similar to remind them why they need to stop, drop, and roll.
Cardboard Fire Truck
Glue four circle paper plates (two on each long side) into a cardboard box to make wheels. Let your child decorate their fire truck with red paint or red construction paper.
Visit a Fire House
See if your local firehouse allows visits. Letting your little one get up close to firefighters, and their gear will help them be less scared when they see them next.
Check your local libraries. Often, libraries have fire safety events in October.
At Home Fire Drill
Talk about smoke detectors with your little one. Push the test button on your smoke detector to make a loud beeping sound. This helps little ones hear what a smoke alarm sounds like.
Have a fire safety plan and a meeting spot. Push the test button (or make a beeping sound with your mouth) and have your family go out to the meeting spot.
Play Hot or Not
Show pictures of different things, such as the stove, ice cream, a campfire, a crayon, etc. Ask your preschooler if the item is hot or not. Sort the pictures into hot or not piles.
This helps little ones to identify different items that could potentially burn them so they know to stay away.
Fire Safety BINGO
Create bingo cards with different fire safety items on them (smoke detectors, firefighter boots, fire trucks, etc.). Play bingo and talk about each item and why it is important as it comes up.
Fire Safety Songs and Rhymes
Choose a few songs and rhymes to remind your little ones of the safe things to do during a fire. “Get out, stay out” is a common phrase and rhyme people use to remind their kids not to go back into a burning building.
Fire Safety Puppet Show
Make felt or tissue paper fires to use a prop with puppets. Let your little ones put on a puppet show that involves fire and fire safety.
Use lunch-size paper bags to make puppets if you don’t have any.
Fire Safety Theme Obstacle Course
Create a set of obstacles for your little one to practice different fire safety skills.
Have them crawl under a table or chair or through a tunnel to show them how to stay low if there is smoke.
Set up a chair or a stump to have them jump off to show how they may need to jump out of a window.
Let them roll from one point to another to practice stop, drop, and rolling.
Make a ladder on the ground (like an exercise ladder) and have them practice going up and down escape ladders. If you are comfortable, you could have them practice using a real ladder.
Water Bucket Brigade
Use small buckets, a tote or kiddie pool filled with water, and another large container (to pretend to be the fire). Set the small buckets and the kiddie pool on one side and the large container that is being used as a fire on the other side of the space.
Have your little one transfer water from the kiddie pool to the ‘fire’.
Fire Safety for Preschoolers
Turn up the heat with easy, cheap, fun activities to use during a fire safety themed unit. They are the perfect addition to Fire Safety Week in October, but can be used any time!