Fire safety is a serious matter for any early years setting as the EYFS specifically states:
“Providers must take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of children, staff and others on the premises in the case of fire. and must have an emergency evacuation procedure”
As such there are a number of measures that your setting should be adhering to. From having a trained responsible adult, a fire risk assessment (FRA) and equipment checks as well as many more. (For more information on what your practice should be providing then head to the CPD online website).
As well as these safety measures, it is also vital that children are properly educated on fire safety procedures. The EYFS guidance states that children should be educated on fire safety before they reach school age. They should also be given opportunities to explore the subject through activities, discussions, stories and games. In this blog, we recommend 3 activities for you to try with your little ones to introduce fire safety. These activities will be especially useful in advance of Bonfire Night on the 5th of November.
1. Fire Safety Activity Downloads
Encourage children to learn and consolidate information about fire safety in a fun way by using our free, downloadable fire safety activity pack. Inside you’ll find worksheets and games to make sure your children are familiar with fire safety processes. Not only great for consolidation of learning, these worksheets will also help to support early maths development and pencil control making them perfect for use inside and outside the classroom
2. Role play
Exploring fire safety through role play is an excellent way for children to experience potential scenarios and be mentally prepared for them. Through this, children can gain a better understanding of the role of firefighters. They can even introduce group role play whereby some children are fire fighters rescuing others. This will introduce fire safety processes such as exiting a building safely in a fun and playful way.
3. Obstacle course
Besides teaching your little ones the stop, drop and roll action – a crucial bit of knowledge for children to have, why not create a fire safety obstacle course? Try to create obstacle courses that are somewhat reflective of real life, maybe with the addition of chairs and tables as opposed to PE equipment.
Whilst children might interpret this as a fun, hands-on game, it will be building muscle memory and giving children an experience of potential scenarios that will help them in an emergency.
For more information on fire safety then head to the websites listed below:
- Fire Safety In Early Years – CPD Online College
- Fire Safety: What Nurseries Need to Know – Teach Early Years
