Fire Safety Sensory Play

Most children love to see fire trucks whizzing by on the way to a scene, but some children can be a little scared. Allowing preschoolers to learn about fire trucks and firefighters in a playful setting can be helpful. It gives the child a chance to experience things relating to fire safety in a fun situation on their terms and at their speed.

Children can use fire station-themed toys as part of the process of learning how to stay safe from fires through toys at the sensory table. Read on for creative ways to play!

Fire Safety Small World Play

Small-world play is a style of play that allows children to develop stories and situations while playing with miniature toys that represent that environment. In this case, children at the sensory table create stories about fire-related plots. To create an engaging fire safety sensory table, fill the table with the following:

• fall-colored shredded paper or other red, orange, and yellow filler
• hydrants
• fire trucks
• fire stations
• dalmatian dogs
• other miniature fire safety-related toys

This type of play encourages children to be creative and use their imagination as they play through fire-related scenarios.

Fire Safety Name Recognition

October is Fire Prevention Month, with numerous activities for young learners. Playing name-recognition games at the sensory table is just one of many. Set up this name-learning activity by placing fire safety-themed cards (like hydrants, trucks, and stations) with the student’s names on them. The children look for their names on the cards. Glue a small picture of the student on the back of the card so they can double-check that it is theirs. Make little fire stations out of tissue boxes for students to “park” their name cards. Here’s a list of supplies for this activity:

• fall-colored shredded paper or other sensory material
• fire truck cards with students’ names
• container to store the cards once the student has found them

With so many activities for students to learn about fire safety, hopefully, children will be more comfortable around firefighters if the time should come to need one.

Find More Fire Fighting Fun!

• Fire Station Dramatic Play
• Five Brave Firefighters Chip Clip Poem
• Fire Drill Preschool Classroom Routine