Apps

Fire Safety is an important topic to discuss with your children. Not only do they need to know how to call 911, but also their name and address so they can tell the first responders where to find them. Dial Safe Pro is an app that helps parents teach these important skills in a fun and kid-friendly way. Through animated lessons, skill-building games, practice sessions, and a realistic phone simulator, DialSafe provides a comprehensive learning experience. And because it’s all within a safe environment, kids can explore and experiment without having to worry about making mistakes. 

Sparky the Fire Dog has a collection of apps loaded with games and activities perfect for teaching your early learner how to stay safe in case of a fire, plus early math, reading and literacy skills.

Books

Time to Call 911 reinforces dialing the numbers in the right order. If the child dials it right, they get to hear the fire truck. If they dial it wrong, nothing happens. This book is currently out of print, but if you search, you can usually find it for less than $10 on used book websites.

No Dragons for Tea

The little girl was out for a walk with her mom when she had the surprise of her life. She met a real, live, fire-breathing dragon! The dragon was very friendly, and she invited him home for tea. Everything was going well until he sneezes and sets the house on fire. The girl and the dragon escape and along the way she teaches him some great fire safety lessons. The little girl learned an important lesson about fire safety – never invite a dragon into your house unless you’re sure he won’t breathe fire! Buy the book here.

Ultimate Survival Guide for Kids

The Ultimate Survival Guide for Children is a fun read for older children that teaches them everything from how to escape a bear to how to safely put out a fire. The book is full of illustrations and step-by-step instructions that make it easy for kids to understand and follow along. In addition, the guide includes a section on first aid, which can come in handy in case of an emergency. Whether your child is an outdoorsy type or not, The Ultimate Survival Guide for Children is a great resource to have on hand. Not only will it teach them valuable life skills, but it may just come in handy one day.

Fire Girl

Fire Girl, by Tony Abbot, is the story of Tom, a seventh-grade boy, and his classmates who are forever changed when Jessica, a girl who was badly burned in a fire, starts attending their school. Tom is initially terrified of Jessica, but he slowly develops a friendship with her. Through their interactions, Tom learns about Jessica’s experiences and begins to see the world in a different way. Fire Girl is a powerful story about bravery, friendship, and acceptance.

Websites

Sesame Street Fire Safety Station is a free resource through FEMA that uses the friendly faces from Sesame Street to teach children about Fire Safety. With downloadable coloring sheets and songs, you can get started teaching your children right away. Find one of these coloring sheets here.

Sparky School House

Sparky School House is a comprehensive lesson planning tool for teachers from preschool to Grade 5. The website provides educators with access to Sparky School House professional development resources, including Sparky’s Classroom Management Tools and Sparky’s Comprehensive Curriculum. Sparkyschoolhouse.org also offers a variety of ready-made lesson plans, activities, and games that teachers can use in their classrooms. In addition, the website provides an online community where educators can share resources and ideas. Whether you’re looking for new ways to engage your students or you need help managing your classroom, Sparkyschoolhouse.org is an invaluable resource for educators.

www.sparky.org is the children’s partner to sparkyschoolhouse.org. With tons of games, activities and videos, children have fun as the learn about fire safety. www.sparky.org has been recognized by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and has won numerous awards for its innovative approach to fire safety education. www.sparky.org is a must-see for any child who wants to learn about fire safety!

Home Escape Plans

It’s important to not only have a Home Escape Plan but also to practice it. FEMA has resources to get you started. You can build one out for your home or your facility.

Further Reading

According to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, “Children playing with a fire set more than 20,000 fires every year. That is an average of almost 400 fires each week”. Within those 20,000 instances, some of those children are Curious Fire Setters and some are Troubled Fire Setters. Learn about the difference in Curious Fire Setters and some are Troubled Fire Setters here.