Water Safety - Safe Kids Columbus

5. Activity: Life Jacket Drill
Length: 10 minutes
Objective: To demonstrate why it is important that you properly wear a life jacket at
all times when near open water, especially on a boat.
Materials:
• 1 chair for each child
• Life jackets for half of the number of children participating
• Masking tape to outline the boat, with an opening for an exit.
Procedure
Set up all the chairs in the masking tape boat. Divide the group in two halves,
instructing one half to select and correctly put on a life jackets before entering the
boat while the other half will board the boat and put their lifejacket under their chair.
Announce a pretend emergency and give them up to 60 seconds to exit the boat
wearing their life jacket (they are not allowed off the boat without their lifejacket).
Key Points to Discuss:
Point out that the kids with life jackets on were better prepared for the emergency on
the boat. Explain that it can take as little as one minute for someone to drown.
Therefore, it is important to put on a life jacket before getting into the boat and to
wear it at all times when on the boat, rather than waiting for an emergency to do so.
6. Activity: Life Jacket Relay Race
Length: 15 minutes
Objective: For students to practice and gain experience wearing a life jacket.
Materials
• 1 life jacket for each team
• Space for a race
• 1 adult checker for each team (to check the proper wearing of each kids’ life
jacket)
Procedure
Divide the children into equal teams (about 5-6 kids each). Have them form lines.
Place a life jacket at the feet of the first child in each line. At the signal to go, the first
child in each line will pick up the life jacket, put it on properly, and run to the
designated place where the adult is standing. The adult will quickly “inspect” the
child’s life jacket, making sure the straps are tied and/or fastened and the life jacket
fits snug. Let the children know that they can help each other put the life jackets on.
The child returns to the starting point, removes the life jacket and gives it to the next
person in line. The race is over when the first team to have each person complete the
exercise is finished.