Leaders’ notes
Road safety activities
for out-of-school groups
www.dft.gov.uk/think/education
Contents
Introductory notes.................................................................... 3
Why road safety matters...................................................... 3
Badges................................................................................. 3
Tales of the Road................................................................. 3
Involving parents.................................................................. 4
Managing sensitivities and diversity.................................... 4
Using the resource............................................................... 4
Themes................................................................................ 4
Outdoor activities and trips.................................................. 5
Kerbcraft and cycle training................................................. 5
Theme 1: Walking near traffic................................................. 6
a) Recognising traffic........................................................... 6
b) Crossing the road............................................................ 9
c) Bright is right.................................................................. 12
d) Walk safer...................................................................... 14
e) Using road crossings..................................................... 15
Theme 2: Cycling.................................................................... 19
Theme 3: In-car safety........................................................... 23
Theme 4: Signs and signals................................................... 27
Further information................................................................ 31
Introductory notes
Why road safety matters
Tales of the Road
Children are more likely to die in a road
collision than from any other accidental cause.
In 2008, 73 children aged 0–11 were killed
on Britain’s roads, and another 1,436 were
seriously injured. There is a need for all those
involved with young people to communicate
clear road safety messages effectively and
consistently, working together to help children
understand and manage risk. This booklet
and the accompanying resources are aimed at
leaders of groups such as Rainbows, Beavers,
Brownies, Cub Scouts, Girls’ Brigades and
Boys’ Brigades, and have been written to
complement road safety materials available for
teachers, pupils and parents at: www.dft.gov.
uk/think/education
Tales of the Road: A highway code for young
road users is an official road safety guide for
children aged 7–11. It is a colourful illustrated
A5 booklet covering pedestrian safety and the
Green Cross Code, cycle safety, travelling in
the car and on public transport and road signs
and markings, along with a handy glossary.
Tales of the Road is an invaluable reference
for many of the activities in this booklet and it
is strongly recommended that group leaders
order one copy per child for over sevens.
Copies may be obtained free of charge from
the THINK! Education teachers’ catalogue:
www.dft.gov.uk/think/education/earlyyears-and-primary/teachers/teachercatalogue/ or a PDF
of the booklet can
be downloaded
of
from the website.
These resources have been developed in
conjunction with leaders of various children’s
groups and contain ideas for games and
activities based on the theme of road safety
which reflect popular activities for the 5–11 age
group in out-of-school settings. The emphasis
is on practical, enjoyable activities which
require minimal preparation and materials.
You can download free materials to support
some of the activities in this pack at: www.dft.
gov.uk/think/education/early-years-andprimary/out-of-school-groups/
les
Ta
The Road
code
A highway users
road
for young
Badges
Cubs and Brownies groups which include
children working towards the Road Safety
badge can reinforce learning about road safety
by using some of the activities and ideas in
this booklet alongside the badge requirements.
Using Road Safety badges as a focus for this
work will motivate children and raise their
awareness about the importance of safer
behaviour around traffic.
You can download free materials to support
some of the activities in this pack at:
www.dft.gov.uk/think/education/early-yearsand-primary/out-of-school-groups/
Download resources at www.dft.gov.uk/think/education/early-years-and-primary/out-of-school-groups/
3
Introductory notes
Involving parents
Using the resource
Children learn effectively if they receive the
same clear safety instructions from home as
from their group leader, so it is helpful if parents
and carers are encouraged to become involved
with road safety activities and know what their
children are learning. There are a number of
ways that group leaders can involve parents
and keep them aware:
There is a wide range of activity ideas outlined
in this pack, including physical games, drama
activities, board games, card games, craft
sessions, drawing challenges, talking activities,
stories, rhymes and songs, videos to watch,
and adaptations of traditional games such as
bingo and a beetle drive.
• Send home a note or newsletter to inform
parents about what their children are doing
in terms of road safety activities.
• Encourage parents to become involved in
activities and to reinforce key messages
such as ‘Stop, look and listen’ or ‘Be Bright,
Be Seen’.
• Refer parents and carers to the Parents’
section of the THINK! Education website at
www.dft.gov.uk/think/education
• Suggest that parents read the Tales of the
Road booklet with their children and talk
about road safety (there is also a Tales of the
Road website aimed at children, suitable for
7–11 year olds).
• Encourage parents to help children to learn
and use the Green Cross Code when they
are crossing the road.
Managing sensitivities and
diversity
Leaders using this resource should be aware of
any child whose family member or friend may
have been involved in a serious traffic incident.
Special sensitivity will need to be shown in
these cases, and it may be appropriate to prewarn the child’s parent / carer so they are able
to prepare the child.
Diversity is also an important issue, as there will
be a wide range in children’s awareness of roads,
traffic, signs and safety procedures depending
on many factors. Some children may come from
homes where there is no car, for example.
4
Leaders’ notes – Road safety activities for out-of-school groups
The activities are divided both by road safety
theme and by age group, and most require
minimal preparation and materials. All of the
printed resources needed for the activities are
supplied either in the pack or as downloads
from the THINK! Education website and can
be printed and copied as required. All of the
suggestions for activities are designed to be
used flexibly by leaders and adapted to meet
the needs and circumstances of individual
groups. While road safety is a serious subject
there is also the acknowledgement that
learning should be fun wherever possible,
so the majority of ideas include competitive,
creative or interactive elements.
Themes
The materials are grouped into four sections.
Section 1 is the largest, and this is subdivided
into five parts:
1. Walking near traffic
a) Recognising traffic (for younger children)
b) Crossing the road
c) Bright is right
d) Walk safer
e) Using road crossings
2. Cycling (aimed at older children)
3. In-car safety
4. Signs and signals (mainly for older children)
If possible, leaders should try to include at least
one activity from each section in a programme
of road safety learning and vary the types of
activity to maintain interest. Questions from
children should be encouraged throughout, and
it will be helpful to have a copy of the Tales of
the Road booklet handy as a reference and to
give official guidance.
Links to online videos are provided but it is
acknowledged that for many groups internet
access is extremely difficult or impossible,
or that equipment may not be available. In
all cases, alternative ‘low tech’ activities are
supplied which cover the same road safety
learning points.
Outdoor activities and trips
Some out-of-school groups, including Cubs
and Brownies, have organised cycle training
for children. You can find out more information
about the Bikeability cycle training scheme at:
www.bikeability.org.uk
Group leaders interested in Kerbcraft or
cycle training in their area can contact their
local Road Safety Officer through their local
authority.
In teaching children how to stay safer on
the roads, there is no substitute for practical
experience. In addition to using some of the
ideas outlined in this booklet, leaders can
reinforce road safety messages on all trips
and excursions. Key recommendations are
as follows:
• Younger children should hold hands when
near traffic.
• Children should walk in a closely supervised
‘crocodile’ of pairs.
• All age groups should understand the
importance of ‘Stop, look and listen’.
• Emphasis should be put on finding the
safest place to cross (for example, away
from junctions, buses and parked cars
where possible).
• Children should be taught to use and
understand the Green Cross Code.
• Children should know how to be safer
when using public transport (for example
standing well back on the pavement and
not distracting the driver).
Further details of these points can be found in
the Tales of the Road booklet.
Kerbcraft and cycle training
Kerbcraft is a practical child pedestrian
training scheme aimed at children aged 5–7. It
involves trained volunteers teaching children
in groups of two or three the essential skills
of crossing the road, and has been used
successfully for a number of years across the
country. More information about the scheme
can be found at: www.kerbcraft.org
Download resources at www.dft.gov.uk/think/education/early-years-and-primary/out-of-school-groups/
5
Theme 1: Walking near traffic
a) Recognising traffic
Key safety message: traffic can be dangerous
so we must know what it is and take great care
when near it.
Ages 5–7
1. Sound effect story: A noisy day
This short story tells the tale of a young boy
and his mum getting up, leaving the house and
walking to school, passing lots of traffic and
crossing the road. The story mentions lots of
things (underlined) which make noises such
as footsteps, cars, a fire engine, a dog barking
etc. Read it aloud and tell the children to make
the sounds of the things in the story, pausing
for each one.
After the story:
• ask the children which vehicles were
mentioned in the story
• ask why Joe held hands with his mother
• talk about why we need to be very careful
near traffic
• in the story Joe crosses the road safely by
stopping, looking and listening. Ask the
children why they need to do each of these
three things when they cross the road, even
though they are with an adult.
6
Leaders’ notes – Road safety activities for out-of-school groups
Activity
Story: A noisy day
“Wake up, Joe!” said Mum.
“It’s time to get up – and it’s
school today.” Joe opened
his tired eyes and sat up with
a big yawn.
“I was having a dream,” said
Joe. “I was a farmer and I
was driving a tractor!”
“Well, even six-year-old
farmers need a wash in the
morning, so come on.”
Joe went to the bathroom for
a wash. He loved it when he
pulled the plug in the basin
and the water disappeared
with a gurgle.
He got dressed quickly and
hurried down the stairs,
stamping his feet. He could
hear his baby sister crying in
her cot.
“Can I have cornflakes for
breakfast, Mum?” He saw
some bacon sizzling in the
pan.
“Come on, Joe,” said Mum.
“We’re by the road now so
you need to hold my hand.”
They walked along the
pavement towards Joe’s
school. Mrs Evans passed
by in her noisy little car. They
also heard Mr Rashid’s dog
barking next door.
Soon they reached the busy
main road. Mum held Joe’s
hand tight. “We need to be
very careful here because
there’s lots of traffic at this
time in the morning.” She
was right, Joe had never
seen so much on the road.
There was a great big lorry.
And a motorbike. And a bus.
And a van.
Then something really noisy
made Joe jump. It was an
ambulance! And it was
followed by a police car!
A few minutes later, Joe had
his coat on and his school
bag. Mum shut the front door
with a bang. It was time to
walk to school.
They watched all the traffic
go past then Mum said,
“Right Joe, we need to cross
the road in a minute. Can
you remember what to do?”
Joe nodded. “Stop, look and
listen!” he said. “Good boy,”
said Mum. “But we won’t
cross here because there are
parked cars and we can’t see
the road very well.”
Outside a cold, noisy wind
was blowing. Overhead a
seagull made a loud squawk.
They walked a bit further
on to where there were no
cars parked.
“OK, help yourself,” said
Mum. Joe poured a bowlful
and ate them with a loud
munch.
Joe heard a lorry toot its
horn. “First, we stop near the
edge of the pavement,” said
Mum. “Then we need to look
for traffic,” said Joe. Mum
smiled. “That’s right. Look all
around to see if anything is
coming along the road.”
Joe looked. There weren’t
any cars or lorries but there
was a cyclist. He pedalled
past then the road was clear.
“Can we cross now?” said
Joe. “No, wait,” said Mum.
“Can you hear that?” Joe
listened, and he heard a
noise growing louder and
louder, just before a huge red
fire engine came zooming
past with its siren going.
When it had gone, they
looked and listened again. It
was all clear so they crossed
the road to the school. Joe
arrived just in time because
as he went through the gate,
there was his teacher ringing
the bell.
What a noisy start to the day!
Download resources at www.dft.gov.uk/think/education/early-years-and-primary/out-of-school-groups/
7
Theme 1: Walking near traffic
2. Guess the vehicle
To run the activity:
This activity requires the set of vehicle
flashcards which are provided as a download
on the THINK! Education website (see page
3 for details). The flashcards feature a car,
bus, lorry, van, tractor, motorcycle, bicycle
and a horse and rider. The children must
guess which vehicle is on each card by the
leader giving out clues. Children are only
shown the card when it is guessed correctly.
The child who says the right vehicle wins the
card (each child can only win one card, to
give others a chance).
• Pick one of the cards at random, keeping it
hidden.
• Explain that there is a picture of a vehicle on
the other side and that the children have to
guess what the vehicle is and put up their
hands to answer.
• Say that you will give a series of clues and
that children can make a single guess after
each clue.
• After each card is shown, briefly talk about
the vehicle and where the children might
see it, with the emphasis on road safety
(for example motorbikes are small so hard
to see, bicycles are quiet and lorries take a
long time to stop).
Clues are as follows:
8
Bus
• It’s very long
• It has lots of windows
• It carries lots of people
• It sometimes has an upstairs
Car
• It has four wheels
• It can be small or quite big
• It carries people
• Lots of people own one
Lorry
• It is a big vehicle
• It is often quite noisy
• It carries big things
• It usually only has two seats
Van
• It carries things
• It has doors at the back
• It sometimes has writing on the side
• It can be big or small
Tractor
• It is very noisy
• It has four wheels
• It is seen in the countryside a lot
• It has big wheels at the back and
small ones at the front
Motorcycle
• It can be very noisy
• It is smaller than a car
• It can carry two people
• It has two wheels
Bicycle
• It is very quiet
• It doesn’t have an engine
• It has handles
• It has two wheels
Horse and rider
• It usually goes very slowly on the road
• It is not noisy
• It does not have wheels
• It has a rider
• It is an animal
Leaders’ notes – Road safety activities for out-of-school groups
Activity
b) Crossing the road
Key safety messages: stop, look and listen
(ages 5–11); use the Green Cross Code (7–11).
Note: There is no substitute for practical
experience on the real roads. In addition to
completing indoor activities such as this one,
leaders should make sure that they practise the
Green Cross Code on every trip.
2. Using posters
Ages 5–7
1. Drama: Stop, look and listen
In pairs, model crossing an imaginary road,
using a line on the floor to mark the kerb.
Children can hold hands and practise standing
in the right place, looking all around and
listening. Points to emphasise:
• Children should continue to look all around
as they cross.
• They should not talk, as this prevents them
from listening.
• They should not run.
Children can also model using a pedestrian
crossing in this way. A green man image can
be downloaded on the THINK! Education
website (see page 3 for details) (the green man
will need to be coloured in). The sequence is
as follows:
• Stop at the pedestrian crossing, near the
kerb, where you can see traffic.
There are three free A4 colour posters
showing different road crossings which can
be downloaded on the THINK! Education
website (see page 3 for details). These posters
show an adult and child crossing at a zebra
crossing, a puffin crossing and where there
is no road crossing. They can be used to talk
about different types of road crossing and to
help children understand the vocabulary of
road safety. The posters can also be used for a
game as follows:
• Fix the poster to the walls at different places
in the room where they can easily be seen.
• The children stand in the middle of the room
and must run to the right poster when asked
a question.
• Example questions: which crossing has
traffic lights? Which picture has no road
markings? Which one is the zebra crossing?
Which one has a green man? Which one has
a button to press? Which one has no lights?
• Push the button.
• Look across the road to where the signal is
(for a pelican crossing) or to the side (for a
puffin crossing). The leader can hold up the
green man in either of these places to signal
when the children should cross.
• When the green man is shown, wait for the
traffic to stop then cross the road.
• Keep looking and listening as you cross.
• Do not run.
Mention that some crossings also make a
bleeping noise. It will be helpful to show the
children a poster of a pedestrian crossing (see
activity 2 below) and to talk about where there
are green man crossings nearby.
Download resources at www.dft.gov.uk/think/education/early-years-and-primary/out-of-school-groups/
9
Theme 1: Walking near traffic
Ages 7–11
1. The Green Cross Code jumble
To help with this activity a summary of the
Green Cross Code can be downloaded on
the THINK! Education website (see page 3
for details). You can also print and cut out the
cards for the game below. Before doing this
activity the children will need to be introduced
to the Green Cross Code. A good way to
do this is by giving each child a copy of the
Tales of the Road booklet (see page 3 for how
to obtain free copies) and reading out the
summary together:
1. Find the safest place to cross.
2. Stop just before you get to the kerb.
3. Look all around for traffic and listen.
4. If traffic is coming, let it pass.
5. When it is safe go straight across the road –
do not run, keep looking and listening while
you cross.
To play the Green Cross Code jumble game:
• Divide the children into three groups.
• Each group will need a set of game cards
for the activity – the cards feature the five
parts of the Green Cross Code but each
part is split into four (with one part being the
number). This means there are four cards for
each part which must be matched together,
for example:
1. Find the safest place to cross.
• Each group’s 20 cards are placed opposite
them, turned over and jumbled up.
• On the word go the teams run to their cards
and try to sort them, working together as a
team. They sit down when they are finished.
• It’s important that all groups carry on until
they are finished.
10
Leaders’ notes – Road safety activities for out-of-school groups
2. Code call out
This activity should be carried out after children
have read or been introduced to the Green
Cross Code, possibly through the Tales of
the Road booklet, and in addition to other
activities, not as a standalone exercise. The
leader reads out the five parts of the Code,
as written below, with words missed out. The
group call out the missing words as follows
(answers in brackets):
1) Find the safest place to _______ [cross].
2) Stop just before you get to the _______
[kerb].
3) Look all around for _______ [traffic]
and _________ [listen].
4) If traffic is ________ [coming] , let it
_________ [pass].
5) When it is _______ [safe] , go straight
across the ______ [road] – do not _______
[run], keep looking and ________ [listening]
while you cross.
This is an effective way to learn the Green
Cross Code, if it is done several times.
Children will need to complete other activities
in addition to this one to make sure that
they really understand the Code once
they have learned it.
Activity
3. Tales of the Road quiz
As suggested above, older children can be
given this booklet and asked to read it at home.
To add an incentive for reading the booklet and
talking about it with parents and carers, a team
quiz can be organised, based on the “Walking”
section of the booklet (pages 4–13). Prizes
can be provided and teams can be organised
1. On which side of the
road should you walk if
there’s no pavement?
(The side facing traffic)
2. Fluorescent materials
can help you to be seen
by drivers. Do they
show up in daylight or
darkness? (Daylight)
3. What do we call
materials which help
you to be seen by traffic
at night? (Reflective)
4. How many parts does
the Green Cross Code
have? (5)
5. Name one of the road
crossings mentioned
in part 1 of the Green
Cross Code. (subway,
footbridge, an island or
zebra, pelican, puffin or
toucan crossing)
6. Name another of
the road crossings
mentioned in part 1 of
the Green Cross Code.
(subway, footbridge, an
island or zebra, pelican,
puffin or toucan crossing)
7. You should avoid
crossing between
parked cars, if you can,
and two other places –
name one of them. (blind
bends or near the brow
of a hill)
in various ways to suit individual groups.
Conferring can be allowed between team
members and teams can be given alternate
questions, with the question passed to the
other team if a wrong answer is given. If some
children were not present the previous week,
allow ten minutes before the quiz for children to
look through the booklets and recap. Questions
as follows (answers in brackets):
8. Name one of the
three people who can
control crossing points
mentioned in part 1 of
the Green Cross Code.
(Police officer, school
crossing patrol, traffic
warden)
9. Name another of the
three people who can
control crossing points
mentioned in part 1 of
the Green Cross Code.
(Police officer, school
crossing patrol, traffic
warden)
10. The first part of the
Green Cross Code is
‘Find the safest place to
cross’. What is part 2?
(‘Stop just before you get
to the kerb’)
11. What is part 3 of the
Green Cross Code?
(Look all around for traffic
and listen)
12. Part 4 of the code is ‘If
traffic is coming let it
pass’, and part 5 says
to cross when it’s clear,
but what mustn’t you
do when you cross the
road? (Run)
13. How does part 5 of the
Green Cross Code say
you should cross the
road? (Go straight across)
14. Sometimes you cannot
avoid crossing between
parked cars but which
vehicles should you not
cross near? (Large ones)
15. Which type of crossing
has a green man on the
opposite side of the
road? (Pelican)
16. At a crossing controlled
by traffic lights, you
should only cross
when the green man
shows and when what
happens? (Traffic stops)
17. At a zebra crossing you
must wait for traffic
to stop. What should
you do while crossing?
(Keep looking and
listening)
18. What should you look
out for when crossing
the road near a
junction? (Traffic turning
the corner)
19. If you cross a bus lane
you need to watch out
for buses, taxis and
what else? (Cyclists and
sometimes motorcyclists)
20. At a railway level
crossing you should
never cross when what
signal is showing?
(Flashing red lights or
warning sounds)
Download resources at www.dft.gov.uk/think/education/early-years-and-primary/out-of-school-groups/
11
Theme 1: Walking near traffic
4. Online videos and games
c) Bright is right
If internet access is available, there are a
number of videos and games on the THINK!
Education website (see page 3 for details)
which will enhance learning and get children
thinking, specifically:
Key safety message: Be Bright, Be Seen by
wearing bright clothes and fluorescent (in the
day) or reflective clothing (in the dark).
• The video Yasmin’s story, about a girl who
was hit by a car as a result of not using the
Green Cross Code
Ages 5–7 (and 7–11)
• Tales of the Road videos 1 and 3: short
animations which reinforce key safety
messages about crossing the road
• Codebreaker game: a set of fun web
activities based around the Green
Cross Code
1. Bright is right relay
The children are asked to each bring one clean
bright and one darker t-shirt or top. The children
are divided into two, three or four teams and
set up in lines at one end of the room. Each
team’s tops are put in a box at the other end.
In relay fashion each child runs to the box, puts
on a bright top and returns until the first team
is finished. At the end talk about why ‘bright is
right’ when out and about near traffic. Leaders
will need to provide spare clothes as necessary.
2. Dress me safer
This is suitable for younger children. It requires
a set of cut out doll / child figures and some
matching cut out clothes (boys’ and girls’).
These can be downloaded on the THINK!
Education website (see page 3 for details).
• Best results will be obtained from printing
the figures and clothes out on card.
• Children first cut out and add detail to
the doll figure.
• Next, children cut out the clothes and use
them as templates to draw around on bright
coloured paper to make clothes (magazines
can be used or bright scrap paper).
• Finally the clothes can be glued to the doll.
• Alternatively, the templates can be coloured
in to make ‘bright is right’ clothes.
• Ensure that children understand the point of
the activity: we are safer near traffic if drivers
and other road users can see us: bright
clothes help us to be seen and to be safer.
12
Leaders’ notes – Road safety activities for out-of-school groups
Activity
Ages 7–11
3. Poster talk
This activity uses two posters based on the
theme of ‘Bright is right’. These posters can
be downloaded from the THINK! Education
website (see page 3 for details). The posters
show urban and rural road scenes at dusk
and include illustrations of different people
wearing various types of high-visibility and lowvisibility clothing to help children talk about and
understand the issue of being seen near traffic.
Show each poster to the group and talk about
what they show:
• Who is easy to see?
• Who might drivers not be able to see
very well?
• Why is it important for drivers to be able
to see you near roads?
• What could this child wear to be seen
more easily?
• What do you wear so that you can ‘Be
Bright, Be Seen?’
1. Bright is right relay (see page 12)
2. Boot camp poem
Below is a specially written interactive poem
in which children repeat a rhyme, in loud army
training camp style, all about wearing bright
clothes to stay safer. What to do:
• Line the children up in lines of four to six
behind each other, like a squad of soldiers.
• Briefly explain about boot camps and
soldiers going on long route marches.
• Jog on the spot and pretend you have a
heavy pack.
• Call out the lines in a really loud ‘sergeant’
rhythm.
• Children copy each line as they jog.
• The final line can be repeated.
• What can you wear to be seen in the dark?
(talk about reflective bands, stickers,
bags etc.)
Bright is right boot camp poem
There is also a story in the 5–7 ‘Read’ section
of the above website about a girl called Molly
who is nearly hurt because she is wearing dark
clothes. This could be printed out and told
to the group.
Traffic coming will see me,
My coat’s as bright as it can be;
When I’m walking by the road,
Gonna crack the Highway Code;
Fluorescent may be hard to spell,
But it sure has kept me safe and well;
Stickers on bags reflect the light,
A shining example when it’s night;
Don’t just wear what’s dark outside,
Drivers aren’t all eagle-eyed;
So if you want to do what’s right,
Show the world that you are bright!
Download resources at www.dft.gov.uk/think/education/early-years-and-primary/out-of-school-groups/
13
Theme 1: Walking near traffic
3. Short video: Tales of the Road 2
d) Walk safer
If internet access and a computer or laptop is
available then children can be shown the very
short animation Tales of the Road 2 about a
girl who can’t be seen easily by motorists. This
cautionary tale can be accessed on the THINK!
Education website (see page 3 for details).
Key safety message: use a pavement if there is
one and where there isn’t walk facing the traffic
in single file; never rollerblade on the road and
watch out for pedestrians on the pavement.
If a computer or laptop is available, but
there is no internet access, it is possible to
download the Tales of the Road advertisements
in MP4 format before the session and burn
them onto a DVD: www.dft.gov.uk/think/
mediacentre/237144/current
Ages 5–7
1. Action game: Single file
This is based on the simple action game
‘Captain’s coming’ and involves teaching the
children a set of actions that they must do
when instructions are called out in random
order. Children need to spread out in a hall
/ room. The instructions and actions are
as follows:
• Single file! (all get in a line one behind
the other)
• Hold hands! (with nearest person)
• Face the traffic! (turn the other way)
• Use the pavement! (go to the side of the
hall indicated)
• Stop, look and listen! (stand still, quietly,
looking all around, ready to cross)
• Walk across! (walk as if crossing a road,
looking all around)
• Car coming! (sit and pretend to drive)
• Motorbike coming! (pretend to ride)
• Lorry coming! (stand and hold big
steering wheel)
Remind children that they should always
use the pavement when there is one.
On some country roads, there are no
pavements, in which case they should walk
on the right hand side of the road to face
the traffic coming towards them, keeping
close to the side of the road. The exception
to this is if there is a sharp right hand bend,
when it’s better to cross to the left so that
oncoming traffic has a better chance of
seeing you. Cross back after the bend.
14
Leaders’ notes – Road safety activities for out-of-school groups
To play the game, show the children the
actions and let them practise each one. Then
start to call out the instructions in random
order. Explain that the idea for the children is
not to be last (but in this case no one is out).
Start slowly but speed up as the children
start to learn the actions. Finish the game by
letting children rest and asking them questions
such as why they need to walk in single file
on narrow country lanes and why they should
face the traffic where there is no pavement
(stressing that they should always use a
pavement if there is one).
Activity
Ages 7–11
e) Using road crossings
1. Role play
This activity involves a series of short scenarios
for pairs to act out based again on walking along
a country lane where there are only occasional
pavements. It will work best with children who
are used to role play, but where this isn’t the
case the leader can demonstrate how it works
by performing an example, acting in role with a
confident child who is good at drama or another
adult. The scenarios are as follows:
• A tries to convince B why they need to
walk in single file while B says that it’s not
important.
• B tries to convince A that it’s safer to walk
on the side of the road facing traffic while A
says that it doesn’t matter.
• A is wearing bright clothes and argues that B
should be too, while B disagrees.
After each scenario ask for a pair to perform
theirs in front of the group and use this to
draw out important safety points, based on the
Highway Code, such as ‘always walk facing
traffic where there is no pavement’ and ‘Be
Bright, Be Seen.’ Ask the children why we have
these rules.
2. Rollerblade play
Extend the above idea to a town setting where
two friends are going rollerblading:
• A suggests rollerblading on a quiet road; B
argues that it isn’t safe, saying why.
• B suggests rollerblading outside the local
shops where there are lots of pedestrians, A
argues that this isn’t safe, saying why.
Key safety message: know about safer places
to cross the road and how to use them.
Younger children should know about road
crossings but it is presumed that they will not
be crossing the road independently at all at
this age so most of these activities are aimed
at older children who, depending on the area in
which they live, may be beginning to do this, or
will be soon.
Ages 5–7
1. Traffic light biscuits
Children can learn about traffic lights by
making traffic light biscuits. To do this:
• You will need a packet of round plain biscuits
and red, orange and green icing, which can
be made in advance if there isn’t time to
make it with the children during the session.
• Simply spread the icing on top of the
biscuits.
• Make the biscuits in the order red, amber,
green and line them up so that they look like
a set of traffic lights.
• Talk about traffic lights as you do the activity:
what they are for, how they work, what the
sequence of lights is and how they help keep
pedestrians safer at crossings.
Note that this activity should be carried out
alongside other ‘Walk safer’ road safety
activities aimed at this age group as it has
limited learning value on its own.
Official advice about walking safely, rollerblading
and crossing the road can be found on pages
4–13 of the Tales of the Road booklet.
Download resources at www.dft.gov.uk/think/education/early-years-and-primary/out-of-school-groups/
15
Theme 1: Walking near traffic
Ages 7–11
1. Shona’s shopping trip
The theme of this drama / mime activity is ‘what
to do about parked cars’. A story is provided
below for leaders to read while the children act
out the story through mime. The story involves
a child going to the shops to buy a present
and involves looking for a safer place to cross.
A bend in the road is avoided, as is a place
below the brow of a hill and then parked cars
are avoided as a potential crossing place. A
pedestrian crossing is found and used, and
other good places are spotted, e.g. a subway
and footbridge. On the way back the child walks
a different route where there are lots of parked
cars – this is used as an opportunity to model
crossing between parked cars where there is no
alternative (the story gives detailed guidance on
how to do it safely). After reading the story:
• Ask the children which safer crossing places
Shona used.
• Talk about why it’s important to try to avoid
crossing the road where there are parked
cars (mentioning that it is harder to see traffic
and be seen, and that parked cars may start
to reverse or move forward and that drivers
may not see children – this is especially true
of larger vehicles).
• Go through the correct procedure for
crossing where there are parked vehicles, as
modelled in the story and outlined on page 8
of the Tales of the Road booklet.
Story: Shona’s Shopping Trip
It was Shona’s great grandmother’s birthday on
Saturday. She was 99! That’s nearly a hundred.
Oh, you know that? OK. Well, anyway, Shona
and her big brother Jed went out to buy her a
bunch of flowers.
Off they went, down the road, past the bus stop,
through the alleyway, down the hill and onto the
main shopping street. Whoah, it was really busy:
people everywhere, market traders shouting,
cars, buses, taxis, scooters – traffic buzzing
along the road non-stop.
Shona pointed to the flower shop across the road.
But where to cross the road? It was so busy!
Shona stopped to cross but her brother shook
his head and said it was on a bend and hard to
see cars coming.
They walked along and Jed stopped to
cross. She pointed out that it was right next
to a junction with cars turning behind them –
no good.
They went a bit further and Shona stopped. No
bends or junctions here. But her brother shook
his head again. He said it was dangerous – too
16
Leaders’ notes – Road safety activities for out-of-school groups
near the brow of a hill – you can’t see traffic
coming from the other side. They went on.
Jed stopped, ready to cross but Shona pulled
him back. There were parked cars, she pointed
out, and explained how it was safer to cross
where there was nothing parked.
They wondered if they were ever going to
cross safely then they saw the traffic lights – a
pedestrian crossing! They went over and Shona
pressed the button. The green man appeared
– good old green man – and over they went,
across the road to the shop where they picked
up a beautiful big bunch of tulips for just £3.
Shona noticed that there was a footbridge a
bit further along, and just past that a subway.
They could have crossed safely there, she was
just about to say, but Jed was going a different
way, behind the shops and across the park and
up the hill and through the gate and past the
school. They were nearly back but they had to
cross another road and this one had vehicles
parked along both sides as far as they could
see. Oh no. But Shona remembered what it
said in the Highway Code.
Activity
2. Action game: Cross dash
How to play the game:
This is a very lively running around game
which starts with the children standing in a
circle. It will help if the children have already
been introduced to different types of road
crossings beforehand (for example using the
A4 posters as mentioned on page 13).
• Each child in the circle is named in turn
Zebra, Pelican or Puffin (after three types of
road crossing).
• The leader stands in the centre of the
circle and calls out one of the names, e.g.
‘Pelican!’ At this signal, all the pelicans run
around the outside of the circle, clockwise,
back to their places – last one back sits
down and is out.
• Do this several times, ensuring that all three
groups get at least two turns.
• If you’re brave you can call out two at once
or one while another is still running.
• For older children add an extra element that
they must change direction if they hear a
clap (or if you shout ‘change!’).
Jed stepped forward between two vans. But
Shona shook her head and told him that you
must never cross between large vehicles –
it’s harder to see traffic and the drivers who
have parked might not see you if they’re
setting off (they have blind spots).
Then she saw a good wide space between
two small cars. It was easy to get to the
other side here. Shona peered inside to
check that there were no drivers in the cars.
Jed listened to check their engines were off.
Then, carefully, they walked to the outside
edge of the cars and looked all around for
traffic. They listened too. A bus was coming
so they let it pass. And a cyclist – they
nearly missed seeing her.
Then it was clear. They followed the Green
Cross Code and went straight across,
looking and listening, not running.
• Children sitting down have chances to get
back into the game by answering questions
about road crossings in between the running,
eg ‘Does a zebra crossing have traffic
lights?’ Further questions are:
• True or false, a pelican crossing has a
‘green man’. (True)
• What does a flashing green man mean?
(Do not start crossing)
• Which type of crossing has stripes on the
road? (Zebra crossing)
• Does a puffin crossing have a green man
signal on the near or far side of the road?
(near)
• What do we call a place where you need
to stop half way across a road? (An island)
• What rules do you need to follow when
using a pedestrian crossing? (The Green
Cross Code)
• What two things should you do when
using a zebra crossing? (Look and listen)
Shona’s great grandmother was delighted
with her tulips. She’s 99 you know.
Download resources at www.dft.gov.uk/think/education/early-years-and-primary/out-of-school-groups/
17
Theme 1: Walking near traffic
3. Posters
How to play:
Show the children pictures of different
crossings to familiarise them with the various
types and how they work. There are two
sources of pictures for this:
• Children play the standard snakes and
ladders game but each time they land on a
snake or a ladder they pick up a hazard card
(the cards must be shuffled and placed in
random order upside down).
• The three free A4 colour posters of road
crossings from the THINK! Education
website (mentioned on page 13).
• A set of illustrations of a range of crossings,
including toucan, zebra and puffin crossings
plus a footbridge, subway and a crossing
with an island. These can be downloaded
on the THINK! Education website (see page
3 for details).
Show the children each crossing and ask if
they know where one is. Talk about how to use
them safely and the dos and don’ts in each
case. A reference for this is the Tales of the
Road booklet.
4. Board game: Snakes and
hazards
This is an adaptation of snakes and ladders
using standard boards. One board is needed
per three or four children (they can be found
and printed from the web as pictures if
necessary), plus a dice and counters for each
group. Also needed per group is a set of hazard
cards and an answer sheet, both of which can
be downloaded
on the THINK!
Education
website (see
page 3 for
details).
• Each card has a true or false question about
safer and unsafe places to cross the road
– the child answers the question while the
others check the answer sheet to see if it’s
right or wrong.
• For a right answer the child goes up the
ladder or avoids the snake.
• For a wrong answer the child goes down the
snake or misses out on the ladder.
• The winner is the first to the end or the one
who progresses furthest within a time limit.
5. Map trip
This activity involves using a local street map
to plan a walk around nearby roads, discussing
possible hazards with the children and thinking
where to cross safely. When the walk is carried
out it is an excellent opportunity for leaders to
model applying ‘stop, look and listen’ and to
help children to put the Green Cross Code into
practice. Other points to note:
• Talk about the relative safety of different
crossing points along the way, for example:
between parked cars, near a bend, where
there is a police officer.
• The emphasis should be on children thinking
for themselves and taking responsibility for
their own safety, not relying on the leader (for
example by looking and listening for traffic
even when the leader has said that it is ok to
cross).
• This activity obviously depends on a
high level of supervision so it should only
be carried out where there is parental
permission and sufficient adult support.
• It is essential to ensure that children do
not take risks when walking near traffic,
especially when crossing the road.
18
Leaders’ notes – Road safety activities for out-of-school groups
Theme 2: Cycling
This section is aimed
at ages 7–11.
1. Tales of the Road booklet
Key safety messages: make sure that your
bike is as safe as possible; wear a helmet at all
times; Be Bright, Be Seen; use lights when it is
dark and follow the rules of the road.
This booklet is a junior version of the Highway
Code and has a section on cycling on pages
15–19 which children should be encouraged
to read at home. Again, a team quiz with
prizes could be an incentive to do this. The
booklet also acts as a reference and will help
the children to enjoy and get more from the
cycling activities below.
See page 3 for how to obtain free copies of
Tales of the Road.
2. Design a helmet
On the THINK! Education website you can
download an outline of a cycle helmet (see
page 3 for details). The sheet has a simple
helmet outline (front and side views) for
children to use as the basis for their design.
They can use any colour / medium for the
artwork, including magazine collage.
During the activity or when the children have
finished, talk with them about the following
important safety points:
• Cycle helmets save lives.
• They should be worn for even short journeys.
• Your helmet must be the correct size and
must be securely fastened.
Download resources at www.dft.gov.uk/think/education/early-years-and-primary/out-of-school-groups/
19
Theme 2: Cycling
3. Beetle bike
How to play
This is a beetle drive but with a bike to create.
A downloadable bike card and instructions are
provided on the THINK! Education website (see
page 3 for details). The card shows a basic
frame (children usually find drawing bikes very
difficult!) and onto this various parts are added
by drawing, after the dice is rolled. The parts
to be drawn are as follows (these are listed
on the card).
• Children are arranged in teams of four.
• Each table has a dice.
• The aim is to become the first player to
complete a bike with all of the parts listed.
• The players at each table roll the dice to
decide who starts (turns are then taken
clockwise).
• A player must throw a six to start to draw the
front wheel.
Number
rolled
20
• Each player needs a bike card and a pencil.
Item to draw
• After throwing a six the player then draws a
part, as listed above, for each throw of the
dice (there are eight parts to draw in total
– two separate wheels and two separate
pedals; the reflector and lights count as one).
6
Wheel with mudguard
(two needed)
5
Seat
4
Pedals
(two needed)
3
Handlebars / brakes
2
Chain with chainguard
• Players then start again with a new card and
keep track of their overall scores (play as
many rounds as you wish).
1
Reflector & lights
• The game can be organised so that players
move from table to table after each round.
Leaders’ notes – Road safety activities for out-of-school groups
• The first player to complete a bike shouts
‘bike!’ and everyone stops and adds up the
parts they’ve drawn, scoring one point for
each part.
This can easily be adapted but the game
should provide the basis for emphasising the
importance of each part of a bike being in good
working order, of the bike being the right size
and of the rider knowing the rules and having
cycle training before going near traffic. Details
of the Bikeability cycle training scheme can be
found on page 5.
Activity
4. Role play drama
5. Card collection game
This activity involves a set of simple scenarios
for older children to explore based on the
theme of cycling safety. As before, this will
work best with children who are used to role
play but where this isn’t the case the leader
can demonstrate how it works by performing
an example, acting in role with a confident child
who is good at drama or another adult.
This is a very active ‘running around’ game
which consolidates important lessons about
safer cycling. The cards required for the game
can be printed from the THINK! Education
website (see page 3 for details).
The following scenarios are for pairs of children
to create short scenes:
• A wants to go out riding without a helmet,
B disagrees and says why helmets are
important.
• B wants to ride at dusk but has no working
lights, A argues that they shouldn’t go and
says why.
• A argues that it’s important to wear bright
clothing when cycling in the daytime and
tries to convince B who can’t see the point.
• A and B are going out for a ride on a busy
road. A wants to ride two abreast but B says
that it should be single file and explains why
this is safer.
Children can create other scenarios based on
the cycling section of the Tales of the Road
booklet. At the end of each scenario ask for
confident volunteers to perform their role
play to the group and use this to talk about
the road safety issues involved, giving other
children a chance to add arguments in favour
of safer cycling.
How to play:
• The children are divided into two teams and
each is given half of the hall to work in.
• Each team needs a set of game cards
which consist of 10 cycling ‘rules’ or safety
statements and 10 matching illustrations.
Each rule is split in two so there are 30 cards
per set in total.
• Each team’s 30 cards are spread around
their half of the hall, facing upwards and
jumbled up in order; the teams sit in a line
against opposite walls.
• In order, on go, each child must find and
collect a card, starting with number 1.
The second child must find the next card
to match number one (the second half of
that rule) and the third child must find the
matching picture. If they come back with the
wrong one then they must take it back.
• The game is a race but both teams carry on
until they have all 10 rules in order.
Download resources at www.dft.gov.uk/think/education/early-years-and-primary/out-of-school-groups/
21
Theme 2: Cycling
The rules are as follows:
1. You must obey
2. You must not cycle in the dark
3. Make sure your
traffic light signals.
without using lights.
brakes and tyres work well.
X
4. Don’t wear
5. Always wear
6. Wear something reflective
loose clothing when you cycle.
a cycle helmet that fits.
when riding in the dark.
X
X
7. Stop for pedestrians
8. Road signs
9. You must not carry
at zebra crossings.
must be obeyed.
a passenger on your bike.
X
10. On busy or narrow roads
ride single file.
22
Leaders’ notes – Road safety activities for out-of-school groups
Theme 3: In-car safety
This topic looks at in-car safety. For reference,
you can find out more about the law on the
use of seat belts and child restraints at: www.
dft.gov.uk/think/education/early-yearsand-primary/parents/7-to-11s/car-seatsboosters-and-seat-belts/
Key safety messages: always use a seat
belt, with a car seat or booster if you need
one; only get out of a car on the pavement
side; don’t distract the driver; leave doors
and windows alone.
Ages 5–7
1. Drama: Well done, Jack
This activity consists of children miming a story,
printed below, which is read aloud. The story
involves a young child going on a car journey
with his mother and practising safer behaviours
such as using a car seat / booster and getting
out on the pavement side. This is a simple but
effective way to communicate important learning
points. Children will need space to move around
and act out the movements in the story.
Story: Well done, Jack
This is the story of Jack, a
boy about your age, a boy
who didn’t always do as
he was told… Well today,
you’re going to pretend to
be Jack. Let’s see if you
can do everything that
Jack does in the story.
The thing about Jack was,
well, he didn’t mean to
be naughty – it just sort
of happened. His mum
was always having to
tell him off, and he was
always saying sorry. He
just wished that one day
she would say, “Well done,
Jack.”
On this day Jack was
going to the shops in the
car with Mum. Was he
good? Let’s see…
Jack opened the door of
the car and climbed in.
He looked at his car seat.
Would he make a fuss
about using it? Not today.
He sat in the car seat while
Mum clicked the strap
into place. She smiled.
He smiled. And then they
were off.
Jack watched the houses
and trees go by through
the window. Then Mum
stopped at the traffic
lights. They were red. Jack
counted the cars on the
other side of the road with
his finger. One, two, three,
four, five, six…
He was just about to
shout to Mum that he
had seen their neighbour
Mr Robinson when he
remembered that Mum
was concentrating hard on
watching the traffic lights,
waiting for them to change.
He put his lips together
and waited.
Then they arrived outside
the shops. Jack wanted
to get out. Mum parked
at the side of the road
and Jack leaned over
to pull the door handle
open. Just as he did this
a huge lorry zoomed past
really close. It was right
next to the door he was
going to open. Then he
remembered that you must
only get out of a car on
the pavement side. Mum
opened the other door for
him. He undid his seat belt
and climbed out. He had
a stretch.
Mum looked at him and
smiled. “You’ve been a
really good boy on this
journey. Well done, Jack!”
He smiled again, and then
Mum looked in her bag
and gave him a strawberry
lolly. He opened it and
gave it a lick. Yum-my!
“I think I’ll try being good
again,” he said to himself.
Download resources at www.dft.gov.uk/think/education/early-years-and-primary/out-of-school-groups/
23
Theme 3: In-car safety
2. Song: The car seat click
3. Stories
This simple action song is based on the tune
of the nursery rhyme ‘Here we go round the
Mulberry Bush’. As well as singing the children
can perform actions about wearing a seat belt
(the actions are below).
If internet access and a laptop are available,
children can watch two animated slideshow
stories (online big books) which help children to
learn about staying safer on car journeys.
Let’s all do the car seat click
Let’s all do the car seat click
The car seat click
The car seat click
Let’s all do the car seat click
We’re going for a ride.
Sit in the seat and click the belt
Click the belt
Click the belt
Sit in the seat and click the belt
And then you will be safer.
Let’s all do the car seat click
The car seat click
The car seat click
Let’s all do the car seat click
We’re going for a ride.
Actions: for verses one and three move round
in a circle pretending to drive; for verse two sit
down and mime fastening a seat belt using two
closed hands.
• Sing the song and show the children the
actions, then allow them to join in and learn
the words and movements.
• Sit the children down and ask them what a
car seat / booster is for, explaining how it
prevents them from getting hurt if a car has
to stop suddenly.
• Remind children that there are lots of
different types of car seats and boosters and
seat belts or harnesses but they must all
click to be fastened properly.
24
Leaders’ notes – Road safety activities for out-of-school groups
• One story, A safe place to sit, can be found
on the THINK! Education website (see page
3 for details). It is about two children called
Az and Molly who learn how important it is to
use a car seat / booster and get out on the
pavement side of the car.
• The second story is on the THINK! Education
Early Years site. This is called Mr Lumpy’s
journey and is about a boy’s teddy which
falls off the seat and ‘hurts himself’ when the
car has to stop suddenly.
• Read the stories with the children and ask
them what happened and why. Talk about
what they can learn from the stories.
Activity
Ages 7–11
2. Poster catchphrase / slogan
1. Role play
Children in groups of three or four can develop
scenarios around the idea of a family going on
a car journey, using four chairs to represent the
seats. This activity is most suitable for older
groups that have experience of drama and role
play. Ideas that could be developed include:
• One or two individuals could play adults
in the front of the car while the other two
play children in the back complaining about
having to use boosters.
• Another scene could involve children in
the back wanting to open the window and
lean out.
• Other themes: distracting the driver (or
blocking the driver’s rear view), getting out of
the car on the pavement side only, keeping
hands away from door handles when the car
is moving.
The Tales of the Road booklet gives details
of how to be safer on car journeys (page 20).
Children who produce good role play scenes
should be given the chance to perform for the
rest of the group and the opportunity used
to discuss the key safety points mentioned
in the Tales of the Road and the possible
consequences of not following them.
On the THINK! Education website (see page
3 for details), leaders can download and print
three A4 posters about car safety. These have
illustrations based on different in-car safety
points and the idea is that children provide
wording for the poster or a simple catchphrase
/ slogan, as well as adding colour to make
them more eye-catching. The themes covered
by the posters are:
• Always get out of a car on the pavement
side.
• Boosters and seat belts keep you safer.
• Do not distract the driver.
There is space on the posters for children to
write their message or catchphrase. The best
posters can perhaps be displayed on the wall
for others to see. Note that the law says that
children under the age of 12 who are also
under 135cm in height must use the correct
car seat / booster for their weight with very few
exceptions. The THINK! website summarises
the rules.
Download resources at www.dft.gov.uk/think/education/early-years-and-primary/out-of-school-groups/
25
Theme 3: In-car safety
3. Emergency phone call
4. Video: Alisha’s story
In this activity, children are shown how to make
an emergency phone call for an ambulance
in the event that they are at the scene of an
incident where someone is injured. Children
can then have a go at the procedure of making
a call, using a mobile phone or old telephone
handset, with the leader on the other end of
the line posing the questions. Choose a quiet
location just outside and describe a scenario
where there is an imaginary collision, such as a
woman of about 20 who has been knocked off
her bike by a van and is lying on the pavement.
She is conscious and talking but unable to
move and says that her back and one of her
legs is very painful.
If web access is available children can watch
Alisha’s story, a video about a girl who took off
her seat belt too soon. The video can be found
on the THINK! Education website (see page 3
for details).
The procedure is as follows:
1.Dial 999.
2.The operator will ask what service you
require: police, fire service or ambulance.
3.You will be asked to give your location.
4.You will be asked what is wrong with the
patient.
5.You need to give the patient’s gender and
approximate age.
6.Your name will be asked.
7.You will be asked if the patient is conscious.
Points to stress to children:
• Consider your own safety first: for example
do not walk out into a busy road to help
someone if you will be in danger from traffic.
• Callers should try to stay calm so that they
can think clearly.
• Remember that an ambulance might have to
travel to the scene from some distance away
so the driver or operator might not be familiar
with the area you are in.
• Look for help nearby once you have
made the call.
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Leaders’ notes – Road safety activities for out-of-school groups
After the video discuss what happened and
why it happened and how the incident has
affected Alisha’s life. Mention that you are twice
as likely to die in a crash if you don’t wear a
seat belt. Seat belts help to keep people safer
and must be worn at all times when travelling
in a vehicle fitted with them.
Theme 4: Signs and signals
Key safety messages: learn what signs and
signals mean; obey them; understand police
and drivers’ signals.
NB. These activities are mainly for 7–11s
but some may be suitable for ages 5–7
1. Game: Road sign runaround
This is an active game which needs a hall. Four
large road signs are fixed to each corner of the
hall (these can be downloaded on the THINK!
Education website – see page 3 for details):
1.A blue circular sign: Turn left ahead
2.A red circular sign: No entry
3.A triangular warning sign: Roundabout
4.A rectangular information sign: One way.
The children start in the middle of the hall and
are told what each sign is. The leader then calls
out a challenge and the children must choose a
sign to run to. Any child that runs to the wrong
sign is out and this continues until there’s a
winner. The challenges to call out are as follows
(answers in brackets):
• Go to the sign for roundabout (triangular
sign)
• Go to the sign that means no entry (red
circular sign)
• Go to the sign that means turn left ahead
(blue circular sign)
• Go to the sign that tells you what you
mustn’t do (No entry)
• Go to a warning sign (Roundabout)
• Go to an information sign (One way)
• Go to a sign that gives an order (No entry or
Turn left ahead)
• Go to a sign that’s the same shape as a road
works sign (Roundabout)
• Go to a sign that’s the same shape as a
cycle lane sign (One way)
• Go to a sign that’s the same colour and
shape as a give way sign (Roundabout)
Download resources at www.dft.gov.uk/think/education/early-years-and-primary/out-of-school-groups/
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Theme 4: Signs and signals
2. Kim’s game
3. Matching pairs game
This game uses a set of 16 small road sign
flashcards, which can be downloaded on the
THINK! Education website (see page 3 for
details). Kim’s game is a memory game but it
can also be used to help children learn some
of the most useful and common road signs,
as follows:
This game needs the 16 road sign flashcards,
as used in the Kim’s game activity, along with
the 16 matching card with the signs’ meanings,
so each picture card has a matching label to
make a pair. This is another simple game to
help children learn the signs. It can be played
individually or in teams of two. How to play:
• Go through each of the 16 cards with the
children, asking them what they mean
and where they might be seen; talk about
why the sign is needed and what type it
is (warning signs, signs giving orders or
information signs – see pages 24–25 of the
Tales of the Road booklet.
• Go through each of the 16 sign cards with
the children, asking them what they mean
and where they might be seen; talk about
why the sign is needed and what type it
is (warning signs, signs giving orders or
information signs – see pages 24–25 of the
Tales of the Road booklet.
• The children are divided into three or four
teams (each with a pencil and paper).
• The 32 cards are shuffled then placed face
down on the floor and mixed up.
• The signs are blu-tacked to a board and
shown to the children for one minute.
• Children take turns to turn over two cards
with the idea that they find a matching pair.
The two cards turned over must be visible
to everyone. If they find a matching pair they
keep it and have another turn.
• The leader, unseen, takes away one sign and
then the board is shown to the groups again.
• The teams write down which is the
missing sign, (writing down its name, not a
description).
• The answer is revealed and teams get one
point for each correct answer.
• Work through all ten cards to find the
winning team.
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Leaders’ notes – Road safety activities for out-of-school groups
• If the player or players don’t find a matching
pair the cards are turned back over and the
next player or players has a go.
• The idea is to memorise the position of the
cards so that pairs can be found.
• The winners are the ones with the most
cards at the end.
Activity
4. Sign story
This simple story is a good way for younger
children to learn about traffic signs. The leader
reads the story below which is about a bike
journey across a town. The children use the
same road sign flashcards as used in the
previous two activities. The label cards can
also be used, depending on the number of
children in the group. The children must hold
up their card when it features in the story, e.g.
as the rider gives way, stops at the roundabout
or goes down a one-way street.
Sign story
Meera and her dad were
off to see Meera’s friend
Kim across town. She was
excited because they were
going by bike. And this is
the way they went…
They set off down their
road and turned into Oak
Lane. Meera liked Oak
Lane because it went down
a hill so they didn’t have
to pedal. She saw the sign
that warned it was downhill
so she put on her brakes.
Weeeee – it was fun.
At the bottom they came
up to a mini-roundabout.
Meera’s dad said, “Be
careful, we have to give
way to traffic from the
right.” A car came so they
waited and then carried on.
Next they came to the busy
main road. Here there was
a triangular sign saying
GIVE WAY. Meera’s dad
explained that they had
to stop here and wait for
traffic on the main road
to pass before they could
join it.
They passed a sign that
meant ‘no right turn’.
Meera laughed because
she didn’t want to turn
right anyway.
Dad turned left and
Meera followed then they
stopped.
“Hmmm,” said dad. “I think
we took the wrong turn.”
“Can we go down there?”
said Meera, pointing.
“No,” said her dad. “See
that red circular sign with
the white bar across it?
That means no entry. That’s
a one-way street.”
They turned back and
went a different way past
the park. Meera wanted
to cycle over the grass
but a no cycling sign was
by the entrance. But then
they saw a blue sign with
a white bike on it: a cycle
route!
They went down the cycle
route, past five other
people on bikes, and then
they came to another sign
with a crooked arrow which
dad said meant ‘turn left
ahead’.
There was Kim’s! Phew,
what a trip – Meera
couldn’t wait to see her.
They knocked on the door
but there was no answer.
They tried again but
nothing happened.
“Maybe she’s upstairs,”
said Meera, “I’ll call her on
my mobile.” But no one
answered the home phone.
Meera tried Kim’s mobile
next and this time Kim
answered.
“Hi Meera,” she said. “I’m
at your house – I thought
I’d give you a visit.”
Download resources at www.dft.gov.uk/think/education/early-years-and-primary/out-of-school-groups/
29
Theme 4: Signs and signals
5. Road sign bingo
This also uses the 16 small road sign flash
cards used in the previous three activities.
Bingo sheets are provided which list six
different road signs in words. These will need
to be photocopied as required. How to play:
• The leader gives out the bingo sheets, one
each or one between two. Each player needs
a pencil or pen.
• Rather than calling out, the leader holds up
one of the 16 road sign cards so all can see
it (do not say which card it is).
• Children cross off the card if it is on their
sheet until they have a full set.
• The first person with a full set calls out
‘bingo!’ (check that the cards match the
sheet).
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Leaders’ notes – Road safety activities for out-of-school groups
Further information
The following websites are useful sources
of help and information:
THINK! Education www.dft.gov.uk/think/
education
Here you’ll find all sorts of useful resources
and advice. There are games and stories in the
pupils’ area plus videos, ideas for activities and
a parent’s section.
THINK! Road Safety www.dft.gov.uk/think
The government’s official road safety website.
This contains guidance for all road users
and has detailed information about the law
regarding car seats.
Tales of the Road http://talesoftheroad.
direct.gov.uk/
Fun games and advice on road safety for 7–11
year olds and their parents.
Road Safety GB www.roadsafetygb.org.uk
Formerly LARSOA. Check the ‘contacts’
section for details of your Road Safety Officer
or contact [email protected] for further
information.
Kerbcraft www.kerbcraft.org
For details of the pedestrian training scheme
outlined on page 5.
Bikeability www.bikeability.org.uk
Bikeability is the new national standard cycling
award scheme, developed by the Department
for Transport and various cycling bodies. From
here you can find out where your nearest cycle
training scheme for children is.
ROSPA www.rospa.com
The Royal Society for the Prevention of
Accidents gives advice and provides a wide
range of resources covering road safety.
Download resources at www.dft.gov.uk/think/education/early-years-and-primary/out-of-school-groups/
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