Water Safety - Safe Kids Columbus

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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.
Key Points to Discuss Talk about how difficult it is to put on a life jacket when you are in a hurry. Emphasize that practice and becoming familiar with the proper size life jacket you need makes you a safer boater and/or swimmer. Also, point out that it is always easier to have the life jacket on to start with than having to put it on in an emergency, especially if the life jacket is stored away. Loaner Stations: Before the end of the event, tell the children about the life jacket loaner stations and how they can access them. Let them know where they are located so that they can share this information with their parents and friends. Wrap-up: Discussion • Did you have fun today? • What did you enjoy the most? Least? • What did you learn?
Page 2 and 3: 1. Introduction 2. Activities Table
Page 4 and 5: 1. Introduction: “Got a Life jack
Page 8 and 9: Appendix A Types, Proper Fit and Te
Page 10 and 11: Appendix B Putting on a Life jacket
Page 12: 1 National Center for Health Statis

Water Safety - Safe Kids Columbus

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