Activity One
(ages 5 - 7)

Key points

Identifying people who can help your child.
Children can name and learn how to contact people to help them.

Before you begin the activity

Practise using the telephone with your child. Call someone on the phone who you and your child know well and trust. Ask your child to dial the number, discuss the importance of dialling slowly and watching the numbers carefully. Explain to your child that a telephone is good to use if they need to get help from someone who isn't at home. You may wish to discuss with your child dialling 111. Stress that this is a serious telephone number, give examples of situations when a child should dial 111 and practise what they should say.

Examples

If your child finds someone at home who looks as if they are asleep but won't wake.

If Mum, Dad, or another adult in the home tells them to phone 111.

If they see a fire in another house and they can't find an adult quickly.

Activity

Complete the Help Chart on the next page. Add two more situations that could require your child needing help from an adult. Choose scenarios that are appropriate to your child's situation and environment. Decide with your child who should be included on the Help Chart. Sometimes it will be appropriate to include a telephone number. Try to build up a varied list of people who could help your child, listing as many phone numbers as possible. (For example, you may wish to include your work telephone number, grandparents and trusted neighbours). This will become your child's personal telephone directory.

When you have finished the activity

Explain to your child that the people on their Help Chart can help them with other problems as well, not just the ones that are listed on the Help Chart.

Put your completed activity sheet on display as agreed between you.