Talking to children about safety

The first week at Sunflower Seedlings Preschool is about new beginnings—making friends, exploring nature, and setting the stage for a safe and fun school year. As a nature-based preschool, safety is always our top priority. To help the children feel confident and secure while they explore, we’ll spend this first week introducing and practicing some simple safety guidelines.

We believe kids learn best when they know what’s expected of them, so we’re starting the year by introducing our Sunflower Safety Guide—a set of five key rules designed to keep everyone safe while they explore and play outdoors. These are developmentally appropriate and give children the tools they need to to jump into the adventures ahead.

The Sunflower Safety Guide: 5 Simple Rules

1. Safety vest

   “I always wear my safety vest so my teacher/trusted grownup can see me easily”
   Each child will wear a safety vest so their teacher can see them at all times. This little step makes a big difference in keeping everyone together and safe.

2. Play Boundaries

   “I play inside the cones to explore safely”
   We’ll use cones to mark safe play areas and show kids where they can explore freely. Knowing their boundaries helps them feel secure while still encouraging independence.

3. Whistle

   “When I hear the whistle, I stop what I’m doing and go to my teacher right away because it’s important!”
   When they hear the whistle, kids will practice stopping what they’re doing and coming to their teacher right away. It’s a simple signal to keep everyone safe in the moment.

4. Respect for nature: Look, don’t pick

   “I respect nature by leaving flowers and plants for everyone to enjoy”
   To protect our environment, we’ll teach children to admire plants and flowers without picking them so everyone can enjoy nature’s beauty. Note: We will allow children to pick plants from our children’s garden but not from surrounding areas.

5. Ask before eating: Safety first with plants

   “I only eat plants if my teacher/trusted grown up says they are safe”
   Kids will learn to ask their teacher or a trusted adult before eating any plants they find. This keeps them safe while encouraging their curiosity about the natural world.

Seedling Gathering

During our first week, these gatherings will focus on introducing and exploring our Sunflower Safety Guide in a way that’s meaningful. We’ll have open conversations about the safety rules. We’ll ask children questions like:

• “Why do you think we wear our safety vests?”

• “What should we do if we hear the whistle?”

• “How can we take care of the plants and flowers we see?”

We’ll also use role-playing as an interactive way to practice these rules. For example:

• We might act out stopping and coming to the teacher when they hear the whistle.

• We’ll pretend to admire flowers and plants without picking them.

• We’ll take turns deciding what to do if we’re unsure whether a plant is safe to touch or eat.

Through these activities, the children will have the opportunity to build their understanding of the guidelines.

Making Safety Fun: Our Sunflower Safety Coloring Book

To make learning these guidelines more engaging, we’ve created a Sunflower Safety Coloring Book for the children. It’s full of fun illustrations that bring the safety rules to life in a way that’s easy for little ones to understand. During small group time, the kids will get to color their books, helping them connect with the safety concepts in a creative and hands-on way.

We encourage families to review the coloring book at home with their child. It’s a great way to reinforce what we’re learning at school and to start conversations about staying safe while exploring. Children are welcome to bring their coloring books to school each day as a helpful reminder.

Looking Ahead

We know that safety is an ongoing conversation, so we’ll adapt and build on these guidelines as the year goes on. Our goal is to create an environment where children feel confident and ready to explore the world around them in a safe way.

We’re so excited to welcome your little ones to Sunflower Seedlings Preschool! By working together, we’ll create a safe space where kids can play, learn, and connect with nature. Stay tuned for stories and updates from our first week!