Homeschool fire safety is a vital part of any home curriculum and can tie into many other units of study to make fire prevention more than just an assignment.
Importance of Fire Safety
Fire safety is more than just a single lesson in a thorough homeschool curriculum. Learning about the dangers of fires and how to prevent them as well as how to stay safe during a fire can save children's lives. The safe habits they can develop from their education may save others' lives as well. Many states mandate that homeschool children learn about fire safety, and parents interested in a fire safety curriculum guide can check with their city's emergency resources office and fire department for ideas, local workshops and other important information.
Homeschool Fire Safety Lesson Ideas
Fire safety lessons should include several layers of instruction, including helping children understand fires, how to prevent fires and how to react safely in case of a fire.
About Fire
It glows, dances, flickers and fascinates children, and teaching them about how fireworks can help snare their interest in fire safety lessons. Ideas for learning about fire include:
- Studying the mechanics of combustion, including its chemical and thermal properties by testing materials before and after burning, as well as measuring the temperatures generated by fires
- Testing the combustibility of different household materials in a fireplace or barbecue grill, such as burning newspapers, cloth, Styrofoam and other items and comparing the smoke, smell, combustion speed and fire color
- Visiting a local firehouse and learning what equipment firefighters use and what training they have to deal with fires
- Learning the composition of smoke and why it cannot be breathed
- Studying historical fires, both on a local and national scale, and learning how devastating a fire can be to real people
- Studying how fire can burn skin and what other bodily damage it can do
Fire Prevention
Learning how to prevent a fire is a critical component of fire safety. Prevention lessons should include information about:
- Fire hazards in the home such as old newspapers, rags, non-functioning smoke detectors and combustible chemicals
- How a fire can start from a single spark from a candle, cigarette butt, hot match, coal or other small heat source
- Properly cleaning and handling heating tools, such as a fireplace, stove or grill
- Proper electrical wiring and outlet use to avoid overloads that can create sparks
Necessary Fires
Children should also be taught that fire is a great tool when used wisely, and that some necessary fires can be helpful instead of harmful. These lessons can include:
- How to properly burn different types of candles and incense for enjoyment
- Using a gas or wood fireplace and how to do regular maintenance on it to keep it operating safely
- How fire breaks are used to protect buildings and land from larger, out-of-control fires
- How to safely use campfires and other types of useful fires
Reacting to a Fire
Homeschool fire safety should not neglect how to react to a fire - it is this information that could prove most crucial in saving a child's life. Lessons about reacting to a fire should include:
- The stop, drop and roll method of putting out a fire on a person's body
- How to use a fire extinguisher
- What materials can be used to put out different types of household fires (grease fire, electrical fire, etc.)
- Establishing a home fire evacuation plan and meeting place
- Learning how to call 911 or another emergency contact number and report a fire
- Practicing home fire drills
- Changing smoke detector batteries and testing the detectors regularly
- First aid for treating burns
Fire Safety All Year Long
Even the best fire safety program will be inadequate if it does not teach about fire safety throughout the year. Most lessons cover the basics about home fire safety in generic situations, but fire safety lessons can be included in many other scenarios, such as:
- How to deal with a kitchen fire when cooking
- How to safely string Christmas lights to avoid fire hazards
- Properly using candles in jack-o-lanterns or holiday centerpieces
- How to thoroughly douse a campfire
- Fireworks safety lessons
Fires can happen at any time of the year and in nearly any situation, and a well-rounded homeschool fire safety course will cover these different scenarios in safe and educational ways to help children learn to be safe around different types of fires.
Online Fire Safety Teaching Materials
For more information about fire safety, including tips for parents and resources such as coloring pages, games and other materials, visit the following online resources:
