Website Archive - October, 2006
Children
Spotlight on Fire Prevention and Safety
October 8 - 14, 2006 is Fire Prevention Week and what a great time to teach fire prevention and safety, to check out fire safety websites, and to involve children in fire prevention and safety activities to help them learn about the dangers of fire. But fire safety is such an important topic; why not make it a year-round discussion!
Sparky the Fire Dog teaches children all about fire safety, kitchen safety, and fire escape plans in a fun and informative way. Read the story of Sparky, try several games for both readers and non-readers at Sparky’s Arcade, color some fire safety pages, and drive a fire truck through traffic while sounding the horn in Fun with Fire Trucks. You can even send Mom, Dad, or a friend a Sparky card. Just click on “News Flash” and then “send your friend a Back-to-School/Hello Fall Sparky Card”.
Sparky is a registered trademark of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
Learn about fire safety with Elmo while playing Elmo’s Fire Safety Game on the Sesame Street website. You can dress Elmo in fire fighter’s gear and discover the functions of the gear, check out parts of a fire house, and help Elmo “stay low and go” to escape from a fire.
The U.S. Fire Administration has a section for early elementary students called USFA Kids. You can learn about general home fire safety, smoke alarms, and fire escape planning. There are coloring pages, a hazard house, crossword puzzles, a matching game, and then take a quiz to “Become a Jr. Fire Marshall” and download a Jr. Fire Marshall certificate.
USFA Kids recommends that an adult guide children through the activities and lessons on this site.
Parents
Staying Alive is a non-profit organization that provides fire safety and prevention information through various means, including an interactive website that will reach not only young children, but people of all ages. Play Mrs. Aboutfire’s “The Great Escape” with Fire Lobster and help him get out of a burning house. Go into the Kid Zone and listen to Flip the Monkey’s fire safety tips and listen to the 4 fire safety songs. The Fire Safety section has a good Fire Safety Checklist and also a Home Escape Plan with details on planning an escape route. You can even print sample floor plans and then develop your own home escape plan with your child.
How safe is your home from fire?
This Home Fire Safety Checklist was developed by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to fulfill its role in making products more fire safe. According to the CPSA, “Fire experts agree that one key to fewer fires is a greater awareness of how accidents can be prevented. By spotting these hazards and taking some simple precautions, many fires and fire-related injuries can be prevented.”
Use this checklist as a safety guide to spot possible fire safety problems which may be present in your home and then read the recommendations for each of the fire safety categories, such as supplemental home heating, cooking equipment, flammable furniture, etc. It is a first step in reducing the risk of fire.
Produced by the Central Office of Information of the UK Government, The Fire Kills You Can Prevent It website is easy to manipulate and has a lot of tips and information in the Fire Safety Advice and Parents sections. You can visit Frances the Firefly for 3 to 7 year olds and Flynn and Friends for 8 to 14 year olds in the Kids Area for information, stories, games and activities.
The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), an entity of the Department of Homeland Security, provides information and resources in many formats, including books, videotapes and kits, free of charge. Use their online catalog to order these publications and other products. Check out their Fire Safety for Citizens section which includes Fire Safety Tips for the home, heating, bedrooms, electrical, etc., and additional information on smoke alarms, carbon monoxide, and product recalls.
Teachers
KinderKorner, a resource site for early childhood educators, has lots of activities, songs and poems dealing with fire safety. It also has a list of suggested books that incorporate the fire safety theme. There is also a section on Smokey the Bear with information and activities for outdoor fire prevention.
The Virginia Department of Forestry has an extensive list of fire resources on their Fire Website for Teachers and Students. These resources include sections on arson and fire setting, smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, fire basics, fire fighting, and fire safety and offer much information, webquests, activities, crafts, lesson plans, coloring pages and tips for students of all ages.
Scholastic Inc., in collaboration with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), has a unit on Learning Fire Safety with Sparky, a set of 3 lesson plans for K-2 students. “Stay Safe in the Kitchen”, “Using Our Senses to Stay Safe”, and “Following the Right Steps to Safety” all teach concepts of safety and assist in the development of listening skills. These units also have reproducibles of additional activities, family take home pages and informational documents.
[Posted on October 2, 2006]
