Safe Walking

As the weather gets nicer I know that my students and myself enjoy spending more time outside. We go on walks, go to the park, observe our suroundings, just about everything you an think about we do. One thing that I always stress about is how to be safe outside. I always remind them to walk in order to keep them from falling, to hold their partners hand, walk closer to the grass rather than the road, walk in the white lines while crossing the streets. The most improtatnt one that we always do is looking before w cross the street. Now I know as adults we are able to do a quick look left and right to see if there is a car coming but kids have yet to master that skill. When ever we come to an intersection I always say the same thing.

“Eyes up bubbles in your mouth. look to the left is there a car? (allow them to look and answer) Look to the right is there a car? (allow them to answer) Look to the left again is there a car? (allow them to answer). “

If the answer to any of those questions are “yes” we wait for the car to pass and repeat the process. However, they are all “no”;

“That means it is safe to cross with big steps.”

We encourage the students to walk across the street with big steps to help remind those who are slower walkers that we do need to cross in a timely manor. I also make sure to remind them that we keep our eyes looking ahead when we are walking rather than looking at all the cars and waving. I do that simply becure then three year olds don’t look where they are going they are just asking for trouble.

I encourage you and your children to practice outdoor safety when you are on walks. I am not saying that they shouldn’t run or that they need to hold your hand when they walk I do that because I have a class of 24 studetns and use my older students as role models for the younger ones. What I am saying though is that we need to teach our chidlren how to be safe outside. As sad as it is more than 4500 people die a year crossing the street.

Kids die every year while crossing the streets. We can work to lower these numbers by providing our chidren/ students with the knowledge and pouwer to be safe while walking outside.