This post is sponsored by the National Fire Protection Association and Sparky the Fire Dog®
Cooking has become a new fun family hobby in our home. Since my older daughter feels ready to use the stove, I make sure to supervise and give reminders to keep her safe. However, she’s always setting an example for her little sister. Sometimes I worry that without me around, something could go wrong.
That’s why I was excited to hear about the wonderful, kid-friendly resources from Sparky and Sparky Schoolhouse. Featured today on Theresa’s Reviews, you can learn about the different types of resources and how to use them.
Fire Safety Games and Apps
Make fire safety interesting and interactive with games and apps. At Sparky, you can find games that work on a laptop as well as apps for tablets or phones.
These are a great supplement to go along with the virtual learning activities my children are already doing at home for schoolwork. It’s simple to add into the daily routine because the apps and games are so interactive that my children actually want to do them.
Challenge yourself to brain busters or a matching game, or enjoy story time. Each game and app features the adorable Sparky the Fire Pup character to inspire dedication to fire safety.
Screen-Free Printable Activities
If screen time is getting to be too much for you, try some of the screen-free printable activities. In addition to coloring sheets and crossword puzzles, there are hands-on activities that look fun and exciting to do. You can create a pinwheel, make pencil toppers, and more.
Interesting Lessons For Older Children
In the past when I taught Fire Safety Week in the classroom, I used worksheets provided by the district for primary grades, and I used informational magazine subscriptions for the upper elementary classroom.
Sparky School House offers excellent materials that can be used virtually or in person with a variety of grades. With my older daughter, the Chicago Fire of 1871 lesson caught her attention, and it taught her a valuable lesson.
After teaching how to serve up fire safety in the kitchen for Fire Safety Week 2020, I feel much more confident that my children know what they should and shouldn’t do in the kitchen and why it matters.
They know how easy fires can start. Two years ago, someone had left a waffle in the toaster for who-knows-how-long. The waffle was pushed so far towards the back of the toaster oven that it was no longer noticeable. When I went to make toast, a small fire began. Flames quickly rose, it reached the oven gloves on top of the toaster, and it began to make its way towards our cabinets. Tossing a kitchen towel on top of the flames put the fire out, but if we hadn’t known what to do, we could have made the situation worse.
Using the materials we found from Sparky, we were able to discuss safety concepts that had positively-framed messages. Fires can be a frightening topic to cover. However, the Sparky the Fire Pup character, interesting videos, and useful tips made my children happy to learn about fire safety. These age-appropriate lessons and activities got my children excited about making wise choices.
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