Directions:

1. Buy a bag of fire fighters at The Dollar Store.  They come in red or yellow and are the old-fashioned stand-up army kind of figures.  My bag had 24 in it, so there was enough for my entire class.
2. You can laminate the playing sheets and keep the fire fighters in a Ziploc Baggie to be used each year, or do what I do and give each child their own fire fighter and playing sheet to take home, as a reminder of fire safety week and not to play with fire.
3. My Y5’s are thrilled with this little plastic figure and a dollar is a small price to pay for them to be able to play this game at home reinforcing the important lessons they have learned.

The object of the game is to get your fire fighter to the fire.

• Roll a 3 and go 3 spaces backwards.
• Roll a 6 and lose your turn.
• Roll a 5 and you can change places with another player.
• Roll a 1,2, or 4 and go that many dots forward.
• The 1^st one to the fire is the winner.
• If you land on a space that has 911 written on it, you have the choice to move one extra space forward or roll the dice again.

While they are playing the game, to help reinforce the fire safety lessons that they have learned, I encourage my students to say things like: “Stay low and go!”, “Stop-drop-and roll.”, “Dial 911 to get things done.” ,“I’ll stay alert so I won’t get hurt!”, or “I’m smart so I won’t play with matches.” or a fact that they learned about fire safety, like check the batteries in the smoke detector, or have an exit strategy and practice it etc.  I tell them to say this fact when it is their turn to move their figure.

If you want the game to last longer, or be more math-involved, you can have them have to roll an exact number, to get to the fire, in order to win the game.  i.e., if they are 2 spaces away from landing on the fire, they must roll a 2.

click on the link to view/print this fun fire safety game.

There are 2 more fire safety articles after this. Simply scroll down for more ideas!

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

Fingertips

October is the perfect time to collect “fingers”! Yes, fingers; the rubber or plastic kind that children or adults can put over their real fingers!

You can find a nice assortment during Halloween time: monster, Martian, witch and skeleton fingers are some of the most popular.

Why Fingers?

I keep a few sets on hand so that my students can slip one on their pointer finger, to make reading extra fun anytime, but especially during this magical month.

It’s an entertaining way for your students to “follow along” as children popcorn around the room, taking turns reading aloud.

They make pointing to the correct object, shape, equation etc. during assessments, less intimidating and more enjoyable as well.

Where to Find Them:

I found a bag full of 24 glow-in-the-dark creepy fingers at Michaels Crafts for only $2.99.  Watch for their sales or print a coupon online.

My Dollar Store carries plastic fingertips in blue or red all year long.  The nail polish is an added bonus and gets thrown in my prize box.

Oriental Trading has some great Martian and monster fingers and the bony skeleton ones can be found at most party stores!

What To Do:

A goofy finger sitting on your students’ desk is a spooky surprise during this fun-filled month.  What a great way to introduce a reading lesson.

You could also reward your students after they have finished their Table Top lesson and let them choose one out of your pumpkin basket to keep, so they can practice at home.

I have a creepy bowl that’s fun to fill. A hand that is attached to the bowl, grabs down as it feels movement.  The bowl says “Thank you. Happy Halloween.”

I demonstrate what’s going to happen, so as not to freak out my Y5’s, but my older students enjoyed being “scared” and touched by the hand.

It’s just another exciting day in Mrs. Henderson’s haunted classroom.

Follow Along With These Booklets:

Why not have your students make some of these adorable October reading booklets. When everyone is done, don those fingers and read them aloud as a whole group!

The FREEBIE of the month is The Flame On My Candle, perfect for your Fire Safety studies. Also free is, Pumpkin on the Vine, which helps your students read and write, as they enjoy cutting and gluing the matching pictures to their booklet.

I have many booklets on spiders, pumpkins, scarecrows, bats, black cats, fire safety and Halloween.

Simply click on the link and choose from a wonderful assortment to get your students excited about learning to read. October Booklets

One of my very favorites is ABC Haunted House

I hope you found this tip helpful.  If you have an idea you’d like to share, I’d enjoy hearing from you! diane@teachwithme.com

I wish you a fun-filled fall