Preschoolers will listen to a poem entitled ‘Naughty pedestrian’, which will be a perfect introduction to conversations about proper behavior on the road. They will do a worksheet entitled ‘Traffic lights’ and start to learn a song entitled ‘Red Says STOP’.

Materials:

a song entitled ‘Hello!’, a worksheet entitled”Trafic lights”, crayons, hula-hoops, sounds of a busy road, a poem entitled “Naughty pedestrian”, a movie entitled “How To Cross The Road Safely With Ozzie”/movie “Road safety Song For Children”, picture card with a traffic light with different lights, wristband/bracelet, a song entitled “Red Says STOP”.

Activity description:

1. ‘Hello!’ – greeting children with the song – children sit in a circle with their teacher. Teacher turns on the song and shows the correct movements. The group tries to imitate them.

Hello, hello, hello, how are you? (wave to each other)
Hello, hello, hello, how are you? (wave to each other)

I’m good. (show one thumb)
I’m great! (show two thumbs)
I’m wonderful! (raise thumbs up)
I’m good. (show one thumb)
I’m great! (show two thumbs)
I’m wonderful! (raise thumbs up

Hello, hello, hello, how are you? (wave to each other)
Hello, hello, hello, how are you? (wave to each other)

I’m tired. (wipe forehead with a hand)
I’m hungry. (massage the belly)
I’m not so good. (wave index finger)
I’m tired. (wipe forehead with a hand)
I’m hungry. (massage the belly)
I’m not so good. (wave index finger)

2. “Traffic lights” – introduction to the topic by the worksheet – teacher shows the worksheet and explains how they should do the task (trace the line and color). Next, he/she asks children to go to the tables and gives away the worksheets. During the task, he/she walks between the desks and helps children if they need it.

3. “Vehicles and pedestrians” – movement activity – half of children who receive hula-hoops will be drivers, rest of the children will be pedestrians. When the sounds of a busy road are played, children with hula-hops – “drivers” – move, during silence – children without hula-hoops – “pedestrians” move. Repeat the game several times – from time to time changing “pedestrians” and “drivers”.

4. “Naughty pedestrian” – listening to a poem – children sit comfortably in a circle and teacher reads the poem and shows the picture card with the lights during the story.

Naughty pedestrian

A road runs through the forest
The traffic light blinks severely.
Everyone rushes to the transition:
From moose to mouse.
Sometimes across the road
There are a lot of pedestrians
Jumps, walks, flies,
Runs, creeps.
Hedgehog’s mom taught
Mom threatened with a finger:
Remember the rules, baby!
If the red light – stand!
If yellow – just wait
On the green – come on in!
Naughty pedestrian
Did the opposite!
The hedgehog was in a hurry
And rolled in a ball
Straight to the red light!
Can you do that? Of course not!
The brakes screeched
And squeezed the hedgehog’s eyes.
Old fat dump truck
Beeped, growled:
I barely stopped
I almost fell off the road!
What, you don’t know the rules ?!
Come quickly march into the bushes!
I’ll give you a hedgehog, advice:
Do not go to the red light!
The hedgehog quietly panted:
Sorry, didn’t want to.
Traffic light told us:
The hedgehog has corrected since then.
Best of all, order knows
Nothing breaks!

Next, teacher asks preschoolers:

• Where was the road?
• What a little hedgehog should remember?
• What did the little hedgehog do?
• What happened next?
• What traffic light told?
• What does the red light mean?
• What does the yellow light mean?
• What does the green light mean?

5. “Lights” – movement activity – children move freely around the room while teacher shows a traffic light with a green light; they slow down/prepare to move when the yellow light is showing; they stop when teacher shows a red light. Repeat the game several times by changing the color of the light.

6. “My way to preschool” – conversation with children about the way to the preschool based on their own experiences. Teacher asks children the followingquestions:

• Who comes to preschool on foot?
• Who comes by bike/scooter/car?
• Do you have a helmet on your head when riding a bike/scooter?
• Do you use the bike path?
• Are you passing any signs on your way? Do you know what they mean?
• Do you cross the road?
• Do you have any reflective pendants/bands?

After that, teacher presents the movies:

“How To Cross The Road Safely With Ozzie” (0:44-3:25/5:05) – left-hand traffic countries
“Road safety Song For Children” – right-hand traffic countries

Then they talk about safety on the road:

• While waiting for the green light to go on, you cannot stand close to the edge of the pavement.
• After the green light comes on, you should not enter the road immediately.
• Make sure all vehicles leave the crosswalk.
• It is forbidden to run or stop on the road.
• You should go through it with a quick, decisive step.
• It is not allowed to enter the pedestrian crossing when the green light is flashing or when the red light has just turned on.

Important rules

• Stop – before crossing, stop in front of the road. Do not stand on the edge of the sidewalk.
• Look to the left/right; Look to the right/left; Look left/right again.
• Listen – check if you can hear any traffic coming.
• Think – if it is safe you can cross the road.

7. “Right-left” – a movement activity – children put on a wristband/bracelet on their left hand, and then carry out verbal instructions from a teacher, e.g.

• Raise your left hand up.
• Place your left hand on your left knee.
• Grab your ankle with your right hand.
• Raise your right hand up.
• With your right hand, touch your left eye, etc.

8. “Red Says STOP” – listening to the song – teacher during the song shows an appropriate signal on the picture card. After the song, teacher talks with the preschoolers about the lyrics of this song. Children listen to it again and repeat the teacher’s words of the first part of the song.

Red Says STOP

Green says, „GO!”
Green says, „GO!”
GO! GO! GO!
GO! GO! GO!

Yellow says, „SLOW!”
Yellow says, „SLOW!”
SLOW! SLOW! SLOW!
SLOW! SLOW! SLOW!

Red says, „STOP!”
Red says, „STOP!”
STOP! STOP! STOP!
STOP! STOP! STOP!

GO! GO! GO!
SLOW! SLOW! SLOW!
AND NOW STOP!

9. “Lights” – movement activity – children move freely around the room while teacher shows a signal with a green light; they slow down/prepare to move when the yellow light is showing; they stop when teacher shows a red light. Repeat the game several times by changing the color of the light.

* 10. “What are these signs?” – didactic activity – teacher spreads the picture cards with road signs on the rug so that children cannot see what is on them. Then, he/she asks children one by one to select and reveal more pictures. After each picture is revealed, teacher asks children to read the name of the sign and then talks with children about the exact meaning of the sign on the picture.

* 11. “Road symbol signs” – movement activity – teacher puts out the picture cards with the signs from the previous activity in different places in the room, children move freely around the room to the rhythm of any music, teacher says the name of the sign during a break in the music, and children are tasked with looking for the sign and stand near to it. After all children are lined up, check the correctness of the task completion. Repeat the game at least until all signs will appear.

* You can ask the parents picking up their child from the kindergarten to remind the child the home address and their parent’s names and phone numbers.

Attachments:

Worksheet entitled “Traffic lights”

Picture cards for the activities entitled “Naughty pedestrian”, “Lights” and “Red Light Red Light What Do You Say?”

Pages used:

1. https://supersimple.com/song/hello/ – a song entitled ‘Hello!’
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fh3EdeGNKus&ab – the sounds of a busy road for the “Vehicles and pedestrians” activity
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quPlEv0IlIo&ab – a movie entitled “How To Cross The Road Safely With Ozzie” for the “My way to preschool” activity
4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dwsm77tz2Kk&ab – a movie entitled “Road safety Song For Children” for the “My way to preschool” activity
5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow1i916uYYU – a song entitled “Red Says STOP”