You’re never too young to learn about the importance of road safety, and parents should do more to teach their children about the rights and wrongs where the roads are concerned.
In 2020, there were 1,460 fatalities in reported road accidents in the UK, some that could have been prevented if there was a better understanding of road safety.
We must instil best practices into our younger generation as soon as possible, and it doesn’t have to be a scary task…
Yes, it’s true that it can be a gruesome, uncomfortable topic and by no means easy to explain to children, but you can make it a worthwhile, enjoyable activity – especially if you incorporate road safety into fun and games.
Play helps to nurture imagination and give a child a sense of adventure, and it can also help them develop fundamental skills that they’ll keep with them for the rest of their lives.
So, how do you incorporate roady safety into play?
Well, here are some simple suggestions to get you started. If you think of more as you go along, that’s a bonus!
As long as your child is receiving the opportunity to learn about how to keep safe on the roads, you’re doing a good job.
Sing about safety
Children love singing!
A simple and fun way to get children excited by road safety is to encourage them to make up their own songs where the lyrics feature important instructions that they must follow when near a road.
Choose their favourite nursery rhyme tune and replace the existing lyrics with words such as ‘stop at the curb, look left, look right’.
Together, sing the song enough times and the instructions should become second nature to them.
Feel free to get as creative as you want with this, and you could even go as far as to create an accompanying dance routine to really maximize the fun and learning!
Invest in a toy car
Now, this is really a fun way to incorporate road safety into play.
With ride on toy cars available for children, you can teach your little boy or girl the importance of road safety in the most realistic way – without compromising on safety.
Purchase a toy car or jeep and physically demonstrate the dos and don’ts when near a roadside.
Not only will they have fun operating their own (toy) car, but they will also quickly absorb the best road safety practices that they will carry into adulthood.
Watch fun, helpful videos
The world wide web is teeming with fun, helpful videos that will not only explain road safety in a simple yet effective way, but also entertain your mini me.
Children learn and imitate behaviors by watching and listening to others, making this playtime a powerful tool for the whole family to get involved with.
Youtube is just one platform that offers a vast variety of child-friendly videos that highlight and encourage the ultimate road safety techniques.
Sit down with your child and watch the videos together, before giving them the opportunity to ask questions once the information has been ingested.