Road Safety for children and their families

Please see the email below:

Road Safety Education - Task (Active Travel)

Dear Principal,

 I hope you, your staff, pupils and whole school community continue to keep well.   The email sets a task for the parent to work alongside their child/children and focus on a road safety theme with the aim that both will learn and put into practise.  We hope to use the opportunity to educate both children and their parents through a task that has the potential to save a life either now or in the future.

 This week, the theme is “Active Travel” as we begin to see a stretch in the daylight hours. During the first lockdown, lots of people began to walk, run and cycle more to make the most of the time allowed for daily exercise. Now, a year into the restrictions some people are not quite as enthusiastic as they were at the beginning! Being active is so important not only for children’s physical health but also their mental well-being particularly during these unusual times. The added bonus of using methods of transport other than the car is that it is good for the environment and can help ease congestion in our urban areas. While out walking/scooting/cycling it is important to pay attention and not get distracted when near traffic and to use the appropriate infrastructure for the mode of travel i.e. footpath/cycle path/shared path (where available).

Please cut and paste the information below into whatever form your communication with parents is taking at present (Seesaw, Classroom, Class Dojo, etc.) and add the attachment.  There is one task applicable for 4-7 year olds and one for 8-11 year olds. Each task has 2 follow up activities which can be printed out and completed to consolidate learning if the parent wishes to do so.

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to the promotion of road safety and sustainable travel.

Chris McLaughlin

Promotion and Outreach

Safe & Accessible Travel Division| Room 3-09|Clarence Court|10-18 Adelaide Street|Belfast|BT2 8GB

Activities-

Road Safety Education - Task (Active Travel 4-7 year olds)

Dear Parent, this task is designed for you to work alongside and complete with your child/children in relation to a key road safety and sustainable travel issue.  This weeks focus is “Active Travel” and being active is so important not only for children’s physical health but also their mental well-being particularly during these unusual times. The added bonus of using methods of transport other than the car for journeys is that it is good for the environment and can help ease congestion in our urban areas. From age five and over, children need to do moderate to vigorous intensity activities for an average of at least 60 minutes per day across the week (they don’t need to do one activity for an hour, they can spread their activity throughout the day).  There are also two follow up activities (colour match/mixed up words) which can be printed out and completed by your child.

Active Travel (4-7 year olds)

 Over a period of a week, try to record the level of active travel your child participates in and the associated time. You can use the table below or a similar chart/calendar you already have available home. Put a ✔ in each box (or approximate time) for each mode of travel used each day then add them up to find out which was used most and/or for how long.

While out walking, scooting or cycling it is important to pay attention and not get distracted when near traffic. Your daily exercise provides a good opportunity to practice and reinforce positive road safety behaviours with your child such as holding hands and having the child stay to the inside of the footpath (walking) and wearing a properly fitted helmet (cycling).

For further information, why not have a look at the following resources to assist you in teaching your child how to use our roads safely and effectively as they develop:

 For guidelines on physical activity for children: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/physical-activity

 To view the teaching aid calendars that are issued in hard copy to every primary school across Northern Ireland providing each class teacher with a weekly photograph, message and discussion note on a road safety theme: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/road-safety-teaching-aid-calendars

Road safety education leaflet for Parents of children aged 0-7 years:

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/publications/parents-guide-road-safety-0-7-years

 General road safety information for parents of young children: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/road-safety-children-under-seven

 Road Safety Education - Task (Active Travel 8-11 year olds)

 Dear Parent, this task is designed for you to work alongside and complete with your child/children in relation to a key road safety and sustainable travel issue.  This weeks focus is “Active Travel” and being active is so important not only for children’s physical health but also their mental well-being particularly during these unusual times. The added bonus of using methods of transport other than the car for journeys is that it is good for the environment and can help ease congestion in our urban areas. From age five and over, children need to do moderate to vigorous intensity activities for an average of at least 60 minutes per day across the week (they don’t need to do one activity for an hour, they can spread their activity throughout the day).  There are also two follow up activities (colour match/mixed up words) which can be printed out and completed by your child.

Active Travel (8-11 year olds) – Task

 Over a period of a week, try to record the level of active travel your child participates in and the associated time. You can use the table below or a similar chart/calendar you already have available home. Put a ✔ in each box (or approximate time) for each mode of travel used each day then add them up to find out which was used most and/or for how long.

While out walking, scooting or cycling it is important to pay attention and not get distracted when near traffic. Your daily exercise provides a good opportunity to practice and reinforce positive road safety behaviours with your child such as practising the Green Cross Code (walking) and wearing a properly fitted helmet (cycling).

For further information, why not have a look at the following resources to assist you in teaching your child how to use our roads safely and effectively as they develop:

 For guidelines on physical activity for children: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/physical-activity

 To view the teaching aid calendars that are issued in hard copy to every primary school across Northern Ireland providing each class teacher with a weekly photograph, message and discussion note on a road safety theme: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/road-safety-teaching-aid-calendars

General road safety information for parents of 7-11 year old children: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/road-safety-seven-11-year-olds