May is national electrical safety month. Each year we launch a safety campaign to help spread the word throughout our local community about the importance of electrical safety. This year we devoted an entire week to lessons and activities for your children. If you are looking for something fun and educational, check out these ideas!
Smoke Detectors
One of the most important electrical safety lessons your child should learn is about smoke detectors. Knowing their purpose, how to maintain them and what to do if one goes off, are valuable lessons at any age. Have your child go through your home and count how many smoke detectors you have, making sure there are at least one in every bedroom and on every level of your home. This is a great way for them to familiarize themselves with what they are but it also provides a great way to talk to them about their importance and your fire escape plan.
Famous Inventors
Do you have a child who is a little older? Have them look up famous people in history that contributed to the discovery of electricity and the important inventions that followed. Need a place to start? Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla are both wonderful options. But there are a lot more so take your pick!
P.I. Plug
P.I Plug is a character created by the Electrical Safety Foundation Institute. He is a private investigator who goes through your home and finds electrical hazards or fire dangers. This is a great way to teach younger children about electrical safety. We have several activity sheets on our website that your children can do and investigate right along with P.I. Plug so visit www.inthelitellc.com/nesm to download these activity sheets.
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin’s famous kite experiment is a great way to teach children about how electricity works. By simply googling “Benjamin Franklin Kite Images” you can find plenty of photos and diagrams depicting his experiment. Have your child recreate this experiment by building their own kite or modifying one you already have. Or they can make one out of construction paper to make things even easier.
Safety Badge
What’s more fun than an art project? Have your child make a safety badge stating one thing they learned about electrical safety and why it is important. Then have them color and decorate it and hang it on the refrigerator. We have a safety badge all done up and available for download at http://www.inthelitellc.com/nesm.
*All the original NESM videos and activity sheets can be found at www.inthelitellc.com/nesm. We hope your children find an activity that they enjoy! If they do any of these activities, post a picture on Facebook and tag @inthelitellc!
If you have any questions or comments, contact Sasha at sasha@inthelitellc.com. As always, we hope we’ve made your day brighter!