Marking Child Safety Week in your classroom

2019-05-28

Child safety is a huge part of school and everyday life, which is why Child Safety Week seeks to put an emphasis on being careful in all everyday environments.


Run by the Child Accident Prevention Trust, the theme for 2022 is ‘Safety in Mind', which aims to raise awareness for families to always be keeping safety in mind, even under pressure.


Taking place from 6th - 12th June 2022, there is a focus on teaching youngsters about the potential dangers that exist when they’re at home, or out and about, in the hope that raising awareness will help to reduce the number of accidents that occur. 


Teachers have a pivotal role to play in raising awareness of everyday risks and there an array of activities that can promote safety in a fun and engaging way.


Identifying risks


Given the nature of modern family life, there is an abundance of risks that many people, both young and old, may not even consider.


For instance, button batteries can be easily swallowed and washing capsules can also be deadly if they end up in the wrong hands.


It’s also important to identify and recognise risks when outdoors, such as by being distracted when using a mobile device near busy roads.


Child Safety Week, therefore, provides an opportunity to debate the importance of safety and for teachers to discuss the risks that pupils may face.


What to think about


Pupils should be asked for their perceptions of risk too, as they may not necessarily think that something is a danger when it could be.


Perhaps pupils could be quizzed on the risks that they face when making the journey to school, or there is an abundance of fun online tools that youngsters can use to spot everyday dangers.


A wide range of resources is also available on the Child Accident Prevention Trust’s website to support teachers and parents ahead of Child Safety Week.