Who's Bright?
Happy Faces Pre-School’s Bright Activities
Try Happy Faces Preschool’s bright activities: Be Bright collage, traffic light biscuits, role play, stop/go runaround and high vis bookbags.
For Road Safety week last November the children prepared a colourful collage of a child wearing a multi-colour fluorescent coat with reflective trims. They used pieces of fluorescent material to show up in daytime and offcuts of reflective tape to make the collage bright at night.
If you want to do this with your preschool, you could also use fluorescent paper (sometimes called 'neon') or fluorescent paint. For the reflective bits use metallic crayons or silver foil. This won't be as effective as proper reflective material but it will still get the idea across.
Alternatively use hi vis offcuts (e.g. pieces of fluorescent fabric and reflective tape) for craft use. Special Tip: Draw the facial features on first before the children start. If you don't, the children will work on the face rather than the clothes; so you might get a 'clown with no clothes' instead.
Other activites the children did were: traffic light biscuits, role play for crossing the road on a mock zebra crossing, and a 'stop/go' runaround session.
They also posed for the press to model their fluorescent waistcoats and their colourful high vis BrightKidz bookbags which are sold to parents by the pre-school.
Litter Picks and Night Hikes and Funding for Cubs
Cubs from Geddington, Northants took part in a litter pick. As this involved walking out near dusk, when visibility is bad, they needed their high vis waistcoats. The fluorescent colour of the waistcoats looks brighter as daylight gets poorer so helping them to be seen.
Another evening they all went off for a night hike across the fields and along some roads. They started off at dusk with the large setting sun behind them, stopped for a hot chocolate break halfway and arrived back well after night had fallen. The last part had been along some roads so the wide reflective strips on their waistcoats were really good at making them visible to drivers after dark.
Their waistcoats were funded by an ENTRACK grant from ACRE Northamptonshire and the Countryside Commision. One of the requests from the funders was that the cubs learnt the 'be safe be seen' message by getting their Road Safety badge.
If you run a voluntary youth organisation such as cubs, beavers or brownies and you regularly take the children out, there is funding available for these items which make the children safer and encourage more walking. Get in touch with your local Volunteer Network group for advice on funding options as these vary according to area. Any problems - contact us and we'll try to help.
JRSOs Learn the Bright Bits
BrightKidz have been working with Northamptonshire County Council for the five launches of the Junior Road Safety Officers scheme. Our bit has been to teach the children taking part the 'be safe be seen' message, particulary 'fluorescent for day, reflective for night'.
The kids seemed to enjoy it, especially the 'high vis fashion show' we had at the end of each session. (Had to say I did feel a bit mean when they asked if they could keep the garments and bags and I had to explain that I needed to keep them for other sessions, but at least it proves how much they liked them).
I think the teachers learnt a lot too judging by their comments afterwards.
The JRSO scheme is organised by various councils across the UK. It's a great way to get kids to learn about road safety. Two children per school take part, and they pass down the information to other children in their school by holding assemblies, competitions and setting up displays.
Contact your local road safety team if you are interested for your school.
