Fire Safety

We've spent two weeks on Fire Safety and still haven't completed all the activities that I was hoping to get done. Maybe we'll be able to get to them sometime this weekend. This has probably been one of their favorite themes so far. Here are some of the highlights:

Tot School Activity

Josiah sorted hot items from cold items in this file folder game (sorry, I can't remember the link). Big sister was there to correct him if he got anything wrong. Gross Motor

We played several different games using Daddy's ladder. Mainly, they just had fun climbing up and down pretending to be fire fighters. They also had to walk through the rungs without touching them.

Free Play

They did a lot of free play with different fire toys. Their favorite was the KidKraft Deluxe Fire Station. It was fun to watch them play together. One of them would say their was a fire, and they'd both rush to help. One would drive the fire truck, and the other would drive the ambulance. They also would have their firemen act out cooking, sleeping, sliding down the pole, and working on the fire truck.

Fire Safety Lessons

They practiced "Stop, Drop, and Roll." I made some very pathetic flames out of orange felt. I put the flames on their clothes, and they stopped, dropped and rolled.

Sensory

I shredded red and orange construction paper for the sensory tub. Then I added in various fire related objects or pictures to play with. When I first completed it, I asked Josiah if he wanted to play with it. He said, "Me no play with fire. Fire hurt me." I'm glad he learned something from all of our talk, but he eventually learned that it was okay to play with the sensory tub!

Fire Drill

We had our own family fire drill. We discussed what to do if there was a fire in our house. Alex set the smoke detector off so that they would know what it sounded like. They practiced crawling under the smoke to the nearest safe exit. Then, we all met up at the mailbox. We also talked about feeling doors to see if they are hot, and, if it was, to go wait by a window.

Science Experiements

Lexy learned that fire needs air, heat, and fuel (wood, wax, fabric, gasoline, etc.) to keep it going. We watched a candle burn. Then, she put something over the candle and watched it burn out. She learned that this was because there was no more air in the jar. The second time, she blew it out. She learned that it went out because the air of her breath was cool.

The second experiment we did involved two balloons. The first we blew up and touched a flame to it. It popped. The second was filled with water. When we touched a flame to it, it didn't pop. This was because the water absorbed the heat through the thin balloon.

Field Trip!

We took a field trip to my uncle's fire station. Unfortunately, my camera battery died shortly after arriving. They had a great time climbing on the fire truck! They even got a short ride on it...on the driveway :) They also enjoyed seeing the inside of the fire station. Thanks, Randy!

Other Activities:

1. Magnets - I made magnets out of fire themed clip art. I put these on the dishwasher and we used them to make up stories. We also sorted them into various groups (things that start fires, equipment used to put them out, etc.)

2. Indianapolis Fire Department Safety Booklet - Lexy colored this and did some of the activities.

3. We went for a walk around the block and counted 6 fire hydrants.

4. 911 cookies - We plan on making 911 cookies to help them remember to dial 911 in an emergency.

5. We also plan on making fire trucks out of cardboard boxes for them to play in.

Books We Used:

1. Fire Trucks by Cynthia Roberts

2. At the Fire Station by Carol Greene

3. Fire Safety by Lucia Raatma

4. Safety Around Fire by Lucia Raatma

5. Fire Engines by E.S. Budd

6. I Can Be A Fire Fighter by Rebecca Hankin

7. Race to a Fire by Rachel Mann

8. A Day in the Life of a Firefighter by Linda Hayward

9. A Kid's Guide to Staying Safe Around Fire by Maribeth Boelts

10. A Very Busy Firehouse by Alyse Sweeney

Videos We Used

1. Lots and Lots of Fire Songs and Safety Tips - Marshall Publishing and Promotions

2. Fireman Same Saves the Day

3. Fireman Sam to the Rescue

Check out the Preschool Corner for more ideas!