Primary and intermediate: age 7-11 teaching ideas

Most children in this age range have a better understanding of death and injury than you may think. With sensitivity, it's important to develop children's knowledge and engagement with the concepts of hazards (things that are dangerous), risk-taking (things you do that expose you to danger), and the consequences of risk-taking (death and injury).

See the section above on 'what to teach' for more advice before you get started and see our resources section for materials to help you. You can also make use of Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency's education web pages.

The teaching ideas below are best used in conjunction with practical pedestrian training and activities, which your local authority may be able to provide.

Hands-up survey

Use a 'hands-up survey' to get the children thinking about road safety through a discussion-based lesson. You could then use the results to inform further road safety lessons and carry out wider road safety campaigns. Create your own survey, making sure each answer can be answered yes or no (so you get a show of hands for each and write down the number of hands put up).

Run a discussion

You could use the questions below or download our sample whiteboard discussion slides for primary school classes. You could also show an appropriate road safety video or advert at the start, or use an online game, to help spark discussion - go to Brake's resources page for some online games.

• Let's start with the basics. Who can tell me how to cross a road safely?
• Does everyone do this? Has anyone run across a road, crossed somewhere dangerous, or been pushed into the road by someone? Let's share our stories. Why did you do it? (Answers are likely to include in a rush, had to get over the road, not thinking or because it was exciting.) How did it make you feel?
• What happens to children on foot and bicycles who are hit by a car or a bigger vehicle, such as a truck? (Answers likely to include death and various injuries.)
• If someone is very seriously injured, how could it affect their life? (For example, it may mean they can never walk again and need to use a wheelchair.) If you could never walk again how would it affect your life? (Answers likely to include couldn't play football, couldn't dance.)
• How do drivers sometimes break the rules and put people in danger? (Answers are likely to include driving too fast, being distracted, drink driving.)
• If you are trying to cross the road, and you see a car far away, can you tell how quickly it will get to where you are standing? No, because it will depend how fast that driver is going, and they could be speeding.
• Why is it safer if drivers slow down? How long does it take a vehicle to stop if they are driving at different speeds? (See Brake's stopping distances activity - this could be delivered on an interactive whiteboard.)
• Does anyone know the speed limit outside our school? Do we think drivers stick to that limit? Are there any signs or road markings that remind drivers the school is here, and they should drive carefully?
• Has anyone got ideas about how we can encourage drivers to drive more safely in the area? What about persuading parents to drive more safely? (Answers are likely to include posters, adverts, letters to parents, talking to our parents.)

Write or read stories and write and perform plays

Write a story or play script about someone being hurt in a crash. What happened? Why? What choices did the characters make that led to the injury? What were the consequences of this?

Alternatively, there may be theatre in education companies who can perform in your school. Sometimes, this can be funded by your local council. Contact your local council and ask to speak to the road safety officer to find out local providers and any costs.

Be ambassadors for road safety

Get children to write poems or songs on road safety for younger children in your school or at a childcare centre, to help teach them basic road safety lessons. Get the older children to perform them in front of the younger children. By doing this, you will be helping the older children reaffirm the importance of the messages. Use this as an opportunity to tell the older children to look out for younger children. Do you have a younger sister or brother? It's really important for your parents or you to always hold their hand, keep them away from roads, and help teach them how to cross safely.

Check to see if your local authority runs a Junior Road Safety Ambassador scheme or similar. In primary schools, older children are appointed to help teachers and their local authority road safety officers to educate other children about the importance of road safety, and options for sustainable and active travel, such as cycling and walking to school. Even if this scheme isn't run in your area, you can still adopt this idea of having road safety ambassadors yourself.

Getting messages across to parents

Write, paint, draw, film or design road safety adverts for parents about the importance of driving slowly and safely when kids are about. You could make a road safety display in your reception area for parents using these adverts, or create online versions and share them through the school website, email newsletter, or social media. You could also invite parents to a special assembly and present your adverts.

Study road safety in maths and science

How many people die and are hurt on roads? In numeracy, you could work out how many classrooms are killed and injured each year using the government's annual road casualty statistics. How many people are killed or injured every month or week? You also can find facts and figures on different road safety topics, including the maths of speed, on Brake's advice pages.