Tips for Teaching Kids About Fire Safety
It is important for your kids to know what fire is and that it can be harmful to them. They need to understand how incredibly dangerous fires can be.
Tips:
. One of the best ways to teach small children about fire safety is to make it a fun yet informative topic. Have your children practice their home fire safety by completing fun and informational online quizzes. There are quizzes that will allow them to become a Junior Fire Marshall. Becoming a Junior Fire Marshall will give your child something to be proud of and he/she can help to remind the family to practice the fire escape plan on a regular basis and test smoke detectors.
. It is very important for your kids to know about fire safety. They need to understand how incredibly dangerous fires can be. Discuss that the first sign of a fire may be smoke. Tell them about your home fire escape plan, practice it with your children and designate a meeting place outside.
. Explain to your kids with various examples that fire is a tool; not a toy. Teach them the nature of fire. It is FAST, HOT, DARK and DEADLY. Keep matches and lighters in a secured drawer or cabinet. Have your children tell you when they find matches and lighters. Check under beds and in closets for burned matches; evidence your child may be playing with fire. Supervise young children closely. Do not leave them alone even for short periods of time.
. Show your children the smoke alarms in the home. Test the alarm while they are present so that they can hear the sound. Instruct them on what to do if they hear the smoke alarm go off. Develop an evacuation plan with two exits from every room. Teach children to test doors before opening them by placing their hand on the door to see if it is hot.
. Use new innovative ways of teaching kids. Make them practice feeling their way out of the home in the dark or with their eyes closed. Parents and providers can turn this into a game by blindfolding a child and placing them in a room and asking them to feel their way to a designated area. Parents or guardians can set it up as an obstacle course, and then provide cues and help them reach a designated endpoint. Make it look like a game!
. Children should know how to call emergency services. Consider teaching a song to reinforce the words, using repetition and body movements: There's a fire! There's a fire! Call the fire department! Call the fire department! Reinforce this by letting them practice on an unplugged phone. Or, have them create telephones with large keypads they can practice on.
Above are some really simple and innovative tips to help you and your child stay safe in the event of a fire.
Related Information
How to Prepare Your Family for a Fire
Top 10 Safety Tips Every Mom Should Know
