Teaching kids about personal safety and trusted adults

📚 Teaching Kids About Personal Safety & Trusted Adults

This lesson plan helps children understand personal safety and identify trusted adults they can turn to for help. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing unsafe situations and knowing how to respond.

🎯 Objectives

• 🎯 Define Personal Safety: Students will be able to define personal safety and identify situations that may compromise it.
• 🤝 Identify Trusted Adults: Students will be able to identify at least three trusted adults in their lives.
• 🚨 Recognize Unsafe Situations: Students will be able to recognize and describe potentially unsafe situations.
• 📢 Practice Assertiveness: Students will be able to practice assertive communication skills to say "no" and seek help.

📝 Materials

• 🖍️ Crayons/Markers: For drawing activities.
• 📃 Paper: For drawing and writing.
• 🧸 Optional: Puppets/Stuffed Animals: For role-playing scenarios.
• 🖼️ Pictures: Images depicting safe and unsafe scenarios (e.g., a child talking to a stranger, a child playing with friends).

☀️ Warm-up (5 minutes)

• 🧊 Icebreaker: Begin by asking students what makes them feel safe and happy. List their responses on the board.
• 💬 Discussion: Briefly discuss the meaning of "personal safety" and why it's important.

🧠 Main Instruction (20 minutes)

• 🧑‍🏫 Defining Personal Safety:
  1. 🗣️ Explain that personal safety means keeping yourself safe from harm or danger.
  2. ❓ Ask: "What are some things that could make you feel unsafe?" (e.g., strangers, being alone in a dark place, bullying).
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Identifying Trusted Adults:
  1. 🫂 Discuss who trusted adults are – people who care about them and will help them stay safe (e.g., parents, grandparents, teachers, coaches).
  2. ✍️ Have each student write down or draw pictures of three trusted adults in their lives.
  3. 📢 Emphasize that it’s okay to talk to trusted adults about anything, even if it feels scary or embarrassing.
• 🚦 Recognizing Unsafe Situations:
  1. 🖼️ Show pictures of safe and unsafe scenarios.
  2. ❓ Ask students to identify what makes each situation safe or unsafe.
  3. 🎭 Role-play different scenarios (e.g., a stranger offering candy, someone touching them in a way that feels uncomfortable).
• 💪 Practicing Assertiveness:
  1. 🙅 Teach students how to say "no" firmly and confidently.
  2. 🏃 Explain that it's okay to walk away from a situation that feels unsafe.
  3. 🗣️ Practice different ways to ask for help from a trusted adult.

✅ Assessment (10 minutes)

• ❓ Scenario Questions: Present students with different scenarios and ask them how they would respond. For example:
  • 👧 "A stranger asks you to get in their car. What do you do?"
  • 👦 "Someone at school is making you feel uncomfortable. Who can you talk to?"
  • 🐶 "You are lost in a store and can’t find your parents. What do you do?"
• 🎨 Drawing Activity: Have students draw a picture of a safe place or a time when they felt safe.
• 🤝 Review Trusted Adults: Ask students to name their trusted adults and explain why they trust them.