I think one of the most important things that I teach my students during Fire Safety Week is how to dial 911.

We have had several home and trailer fires in our school in the past, and in all 3 cases it was one of our students who “saved the day” and called 911.

I ask friends and family for their old cell phones and portable phones when they are done with them.

I like my students to be able to practice on “real” phones and not plastic play ones, so that they really know how to use a phone when it comes to learning how to dial 911. 

I have an entire tub filled with phones now, and my students enjoy using them during “Imaginative play” time.

I sit my Y5’s in a circle and pass one portable phone around and have them take turns saying: “It’s an emergency!” and then I watch them dial 911 so I make sure they are pressing a 9 and not a 6.

We also do fun little speed drills circling 9’s so we are not confused with 6’s and p’s etc.  They enjoy these “mad minutes”.

I wanted to dream up an art activity where they could make a simple cell phone that would not take a lot of time.

I’m big on recycling, so when I saw the snack-size raisin boxes, I thought they would make perfect cell phones.

A juice box would also work, but many of them have a film on them, where paint beads up.

I also thought up the play on words of: “Raisin’ students to be fire safe and know how to dial 911 in an emergency.”

The raisin box also allows the student to put the little booklet INSIDE the box, which is a fun thing for little ones to do.

Simply run off copies of the mini booklet.

After they have eaten their snack, have students paint the sides and top of their box with black or navy paint.

While their box is drying, students cut out the pages and trace the 911 with an orange highlighter.  This helps to reinforce the number.

Read the booklet as a whole group to review facts and discuss what an emergency is.

Children fold their booklet in half and tuck it inside their box.

Students cut out the picture of the cell phone and glue it to the front of their box.

They trace the 911 on the smaller “Who Ya Gonna Call?” page and write their name on the bottom, and then cut and glue that to the back of their phone.

Now your students can practice all they want on their very own little cell phone!

Click on the link to view/print the fire safety-learning to dial 911 - cell phone.

I’ve also included a 911 - bingo dot activity sheet, a 911 - pinch and poke activity sheet, a 911 - trace and write, a 911 circle the 9's skill sheet, and a 911 - certificate of praise.

I have 3 more Fire Safety Articles after this one.  Simply scroll down to find out more fun things to do with your students.

As always, if you have a tip you’d like to share, I’d enjoy hearing from you. diane@teachwithme.com