Safety First: Road Safety Activities for Preschoolers

Young children are particularly vulnerable to road dangers, especially traffic injuries. To help keep them safe, it is crucial to begin teaching essential road skills from an early age – just like we do at Little Miracles. These lessons will help your child get school ready and develop lifelong habits to navigate roads confidently and safely.

Road Safety Activities for Preschoolers

Introduce your preschooler to road safety with fun and engaging activities. These playful exercises help children build essential skills, from recognising traffic signs to understanding safe crossing. Make learning about road safety enjoyable while preparing them for real-world challenges in a safe and memorable way.

1. Traffic Light Game

The traffic light game is a fun way to teach children the importance of recognising traffic signals. This road-safe activity can help them understand when it’s safe to walk and when they should stop.

• How to play:
  • Red light: Stop
  • Yellow light: Slow down or get ready to stop
  • Green light: Go

In the classroom: Teacher can call out “Red,” “Yellow,” or “Green,” while children move or stop accordingly, a bit like the game ‘Freeze’!

At home: Parents can lead the game in a backyard or park, with the child responding to traffic light colours. You can even use chalk to create “streets” for added realism!

Extra: Learn more about the Traffic Light Game

2. Role-Playing as Pedestrians

Role-play is an effective early childhood teaching method, especially for road safety. By simulating real-life scenarios, children can learn safe walking habits, like holding hands and looking both ways.

• Scenario ideas:
  • Pretend to cross a busy street
  • Practice stopping at the curb
  • Role-play crossing at pedestrian crossings

In the classroom: Teachers can create a mock road with signs for children to act as drivers and pedestrians, practising safe crossing and road rules.

At home: Parents can guide children during walks or other outdoor activities, asking them to stop, look, and explain safe crossing rules at every intersection. 

Extra: Explore additional road safety role-playing activities and tips for young children on the Brake Kids Zone.

3. Recognising Road Signs

Understanding road signs is key to staying safe on the road. Teach children common signs they will see daily, such as “Stop” and “Give Way.”

• Some key signs to learn:
  • Stop
  • Give way
  • Pedestrian crossing

In the classroom: Teachers can set up a simple road system with signs and have children practise recognising and responding to them during role-play.

At home: Parents can point out real signs during walks or drives and ask children to explain their meanings to reinforce learning. 

Extra: Explore more about teaching road signs to children at Kids and Traffic.

4. Stop, Look, Listen, Think 

Teaching children the “Stop, Look, Listen, and Think” technique is crucial for safe street crossing. It’s a simple method but highly effective in keeping kids alert near roads. 

• Steps to teach:
  • Stop at the curb.
  • Look both ways for cars.
  • Listen for traffic before crossing.

In the classroom: Teachers can have children practise the steps at a marked line, guiding them through each phase before they “cross” safely.

At home: Parents can reinforce the technique during daily walks by stopping at every curb and having children repeat the steps before crossing.

Extra: Another great learning technique is singing – get some “Stop, Looks, Listen, and Think” song ideas at Starting Out Safely

5. Storytelling for Road Safety

Storytelling is a creative way to teach road safety by making it relatable. Using stories, children can imagine real-life situations and how to act safely.

• Story ideas:
  • A child crossing the road safely with a parent.
  • Characters who stop at the curb and look both ways.

In the classroom: Teachers can tell stories about road safety, allowing children to act out scenes and discuss the safety rules the characters follow.

At home: Parents can invent bedtime stories where the characters practise road safety, encouraging children to think about safe behaviours.

Extra: Discover more educational storytelling ideas at Gowrie NSW

Looking for a Childcare Centre That Supports Your Child’s Road Safety Development?

Road safety activities for preschool are essential for your child’s safety and confidence. At Little Miracles, we make sure that these lessons are both fun and effective, preparing your child for real-world challenges. 

You too can reinforce these lessons at home and on the go. Whether it’s practising how to cross the street safely or identifying road signs during a family walk, let’s work together to help your child develop the skills they need to stay safe.

For more insights into early childhood education, check out our post on Self-Help Skills for Preschoolers.

Become part of the Little Miracles family, or learn more about our locations today!

Sources: BBC ;  Harvard ; Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) ; Child Road Safety ;  World Health Organisation ; Gowrie NSW