Teaching your children about road safety will help to prepare them for the future when they have to take to the roads alone.
Teaching them all about road safety doesn’t have to be boring though, in fact, teaching your young children the basics of road safety can be fun. And, with many of us spending more time inside right now during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, it provides the perfect opportunity to focus on road safety, and keep the kids occupied with some fun tasks, ready for when you can venture out as a family again.
1. Online Tools
By now, your kids are probably better on their devices than you are. This makes for a good opportunity to sit down together to learn about road safety, helping to put their digital skills to the test.
There are plenty of quizzes, games and interactive learning tools about road safety on the internet. Check out this one from THINK! for 7-12 year olds: www.think.gov.uk/games/take_the_lead. The great thing about learning through games and apps is that often children don't even realise they are learning.
2. Role Play
Toy cars, bikes, figures, bricks, blocks and even teddy bears can all be used to role play different scenarios you might come across on the roads.
Little kids will love how interactive this is but will also learn some valuable lessons for when they are out and about (instead of teddy).
3. Do a Word Search
Get creative!
Maybe create a road safety-themed word-search or crossword for your kids. This can help get your creative juices flowing, while also helping them learn about key safety tips.
Here’s an easy one to start…
Clue: Stop when he goes away & start when he comes back.
Answer: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
4. It’s as Easy as Learning to Ride a Bike
Teaching your little ones about road safety before they learn how to cycle is also important.
Helping children to understand why they need to wear the right gear and how to be a safe cyclist, alongside learning to ride a bike will help them be safer cyclists later in life.
Come the summer months, the end of our current restrictions, family bike rides could become a great source of exercise and time in the fresh air. This also provides the perfect opportunity to reinforce the rules of the road and give children the confidence to navigate other road users – all while enjoying some quality family time.
5. Get Out and About
Once you’ve done the above, it’s time to show your children the highway code in action. When you’re next able to go out for a walk, or a drive in the car, ask the kids to point out potential hazards to help them apply what they’ve learnt to real life situations. Don’t forget to lead by example!
These are five top tips to make learning about road safety more fun for your family. From online learning to teaching while out and about, it’s important to make sure young children learn the basics when it comes to road safety. This will help them as they grow up and take to the roads themselves.
As parents, however, we all use different methods when it comes to teaching our little ones.
What are your favourite tips for teaching young children about road safety?
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Author bio:
Thompsons Solicitors is a personal injury law firm that stands up for injured and mistreated people. If you have an accident on the roads, our road traffic accident solicitors can help you secure compensation and make sure you have access to rehabilitation services as part of your recovery.
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