STOP AND THINK STAY TOGETHER...don’t get lost on a busy beach. It also means that if you’re swimming in the water and you get into difficulty, that a grown up is there to help

Time: 30 mins | Format: Assembly or classroom activity | Maximum participation: Whole school

STOP AND THINK

CALL 999/112

STAY TOGETHER

FLOAT

STAMP 1 STAMP 2

STAMP 4STAMP 3

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LEARNING OUTCOME:To understand the four key messages (Stop and Think, Stay Together, Float and Call 999/112). Details inside.1

INTRODUCTION

ACTIVITY: WATER SAFETY PASSPORT 1ACTIVITY: WATER SAFETY PASSPORT 1

LOWER PRIMARYAGE: 3–7


RESOURCES REQUIRED RNLI Water Safety Passport

Classroom Slides

RNLI Water Safety Passport Song

LOW TECH OPTION Although a PDF

presentation has been provided, a Day by the Water can be read to children with no need to use a screen. You may want to use Spot the Danger posters as part of your delivery

STAMPS TO COLLECT ARE:1. Stop and think2. Stay together3. Float4. Call 999/112

This activity focuses first on awareness of the RNLI’s key water safety messages.

The main resource is the story, ‘A day by the water’. Children find out about friends, Choppy the cat and Ruff the dog, and their misadventure at the park. The story has been written to deliver against the RNLI’s four key water safety messages.

A series of questions have also been developed to encourage children to think about the decisions Choppy and Ruff made in the story and to identify where safer decisions should have been made.

The RNLI Water Safety Passport is all about being safe and having fun around water. Children are encouraged to collect virtual stamps as they gather important water safety knowledge based on the RNLI’s four key messages; Stop and think, Stay together, Float and Call 999/112.

As each activity is completed, a new stamp is displayed. Upon completion of all activities, passport certificates can be personalised for each child, printed out and sent home with children as a record of their achievement. rnli.org/youth-education/education-resources/lower-primary-certificate

DELIVERYINTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTIONLOWER PRIMARYAGE: 3–7

https://rnli.org/youth-education/education-resources/lower-primary-certificate



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SCRIPT: INTRODUCTIONToday you are all going to learn four very important messages about how to stay safe when you are in or near the water.

Once you know these messages, you will each receive your level 1 water awareness passport – which proves you’re an expert in staying safe around the water.

Put your hand up if you like … having a bath <<show of hands>>. How about …going to the swimming pool <<show of hands>>. Now, how about … spending time at the beach, waterside park, or walking along a river or canal <<show of hands>>. What have all these things got in common? That’s right! WATER.

Now put your hand up if you like playing with water or in the water <<show of hands>>.

Great! Well, I agree that being by the water IS brilliant fun, but there are some special rules we need to remember and follow to keep ourselves and other people safe. These rules are…

1. STOP AND THINKThis rule is about being detectives and thinking about and looking for any possible dangers that can be found in or around the water. Can anyone name any? <<Possible suggestions; glass on the beach, tide coming in, currents, jellyfish, sharp rocks, getting lost etc>>. By spotting and thinking about dangers before you make a choice to do something, you can help keep yourself and others safe. Let’s have a look at this picture to see if any of you can spot and dangers. <<Show the Spot the Dangers image>>

DELIVERYDELIVERYDress up! If this session is being delivered by a RNLI volunteer the children can dress up as a lifeguard or a crew member!




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2. STAY TOGETHERThe second of our important water safety rules is to stay together. What do you think this means? <<Take suggestions>> Yes, this one is very important. It means to always stay with the grown up who has taken you to the water. So, Mum, Dad, Gran, Grandad, <teacher name>, Aunty or Uncle, carer or guardian.

Staying with an adult and holding their hand when you are asked to is important as it means they can make sure you don’t get lost on a busy beach. It also means that if you’re swimming in the water and you get into difficulty, that a grown up is there to help you.

3. FLOATThis rule is very important if you ever fall into cold water. If that happens, your body will be shocked by the cold temperature and this can make you gasp and swallow water. So instead you need to relax and float until you feel calm. A great place to practise your floating skills is during swimming lessons.

4. CALL 999/112 OR SHOUT FOR HELPI’m sure you all know that police officers, fire fighters and ambulance crew are here to help us in an emergency. They will even help us if we get into trouble around water <<add a personal story here if you have one

Now what do we call the people who look after you and GUARD your LIFE at the beach or pool? <<answer>>. That’s right! Lifeguards.

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People can float in lots of different positions. Some children may have learnt to float like a star in swimming lessons. This is a really important skill to practice.




Does anyone know the special number we call to contact any of the emergency services (like the Police, Fire Brigade etc)? <<allow answers>>. Yes, 999/112. And this special number can also be called if you see someone in difficulty in the water. Well done everyone!

Now if you don’t have a phone and you see someone in trouble in the water who needs help what could you use? <<prompt with – clue: all of us have one, it makes lots of different sounds from a quiet whisper to a loud SHOUT, and I’m using mine right now!>> That’s right, YOUR VOICE.

Let’s practice calling for help shall we? <<Do this three times, with each attempt getting louder>>.That’s great! I don’t think any of you will have problems being heard! Well done!

Right! So now we have been through those four important rules, we are going to learn a song which will help you remember them <<play song>>

Well done everybody! Some excellent singing there and I can tell you are all becoming water safety experts.

Now we are going to hear a story about good friends, Choppy the cat and Ruff the dog. Some of you may have seen Ruff and Choppy in RNLI magazines – these days they are water safety experts but this story takes place before they had learned the four special rules about staying safe around water. Let’s see what happens!

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DELIVERYDELIVERYLOWER PRIMARYAGE: 3–7

112 is the emergency number used in Ireland and the rest of Europe



STORY TIMEChoppy the cat and Ruff the dog are best friends. They do everything together. They go to the same school, share the same friends, and even have the same favourite snack.

When Stormy Stan took them for swimming lessons, Choppy and Ruff both learned to swim at the same time. They were very proud of how well they could swim AND they had just learnt how to float without their arm bands.

SCENE 1: One sunny day Stan took them to the park for a picnic.

Choppy and Ruff were running and jumping around while Stan set out the picnic blanket. He had packed their favourite cheese sandwiches and was sorting out their lunch.

Choppy and Ruff were having a brilliant time, climbing the big oak tree and playing with Ruff’s new kite.

‘Don’t go too far!’ called Stan.

‘We won’t’ replied the friends at the same time (they often said the same thing at the same time),

Just then Choppy spotted a duck with three fluffy yellow ducklings.

‘Look Ruff!’ she shouted, jumping up and down excitedly. But the ducks were too quick and disappeared into the trees before Ruff could see them.

‘What is it?’ Asked Ruff.

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STORY



‘Ducks! Let’s follow them’ said Choppy, still jumping up and down. She loved chasing birds.

Ruff wasn’t sure. ‘But Stan told us to stay near him where he can see us’ he said with a worried look on his face.

<<Pause point>> decision time.

Which of the four rules aren’t Choppy and Ruff following here? <<hands up>>

That’s right. Stay together! They are talking about following the ducklings to an area Stan cannot see them. What do you think they should do? <<suggestions>>.

Well we know what the safe decision is, let’s see what Choppy and Ruff decide to do…

SCENE 2: Ruff looked back at Stan who was still unpacking the boxes from their picnic basket.

‘I don’t think the ducks have gone far’ said Choppy. ‘They’ve probably headed to the lake just over there’ she urged, pointing down towards the bridge. ‘Come on!’

The friends ran down the steep hill towards the lake. They could see the ducklings hopping into the calm water one after the other.

‘Let’s go onto the bridge so we can get a better look’ suggested Choppy, now feeling excited she would get to see the ducklings up close.

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As the friends stood on the low bridge, a gust of wind swept Ruff’s kite straight out of his hand and into the lake.

‘Oh no!’ howled Ruff as the kite, skimmed across the water and landed in the middle of the lake. ‘That’s my new kite!’

‘Don’t worry’ said Choppy. ‘Let’s wait for the breeze to blow it closer to the bank. From there I should be able to reach it without getting wet’.

<<Pause point>> decision time.

Which of the four rules aren’t Choppy and Ruff following now?

<<Suggestions>> that’s right… Stop and think.

They don’t understand that the water and the bank is a dangerous place and they are talking about getting the kite out of the lake themselves. What do you think they should do? <<Suggestions>>.

Well I can tell you know what the safe choice is, but let’s see what Choppy and Ruff do…

SCENE 3: The friends waited for a few minutes and sure enough the gentle breeze blew the kite towards the muddy bank.

Choppy grabbed a stick and climbed down the steep bank to try to collect the kite but as she leaned out to grab it, the ground under her feet fell away and she tumbled into the lake.

Choppy didn’t appreciate that the bank was slippery and the ground wasn’t safe and now she has fallen. She should have remembered the Stop and think advice.

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The water felt like ice. Although it was a warm, sunny day Choppy had never felt so cold or shocked. She gasped for air, trying to keep her head out of the water so she didn’t swallow any of it.

SCENE 4: ‘Wait!’ Cried Ruff. ‘Remember what we were told to do if we ever fell into cold water Choppy. Float!’ She had been practising how to float in her swimming lessons.

<<Pause point>> Which of the four rules has Ruff remembered here? <<Suggestions from children>>

That’s right! Well done!

He remembered that if you fall into cold water, you should Float until you feel calm. That was quick thinking of Ruff wasn’t it?

SCENE 5: Choppy remembered. She had been practising how to float in her swimming lessons. She leant back in the cold water and pushed her tummy up towards the sky, stretched out her arms and legs and began to float while she controlled her breathing.

‘I’ll get Stan to help’ shouted Ruff and ran back up the hill as fast as he could. Shouting for Stan to come quickly.

<<Pause point>> Well done again Ruff! He has remembered the last of the four rules and has run and shouted to get help as he doesn’t have a phone. He knows to get him to come as quickly as possible and is using a loud voice to get attention.

After a minute, Choppy could feel her breathing begin to steady and she felt ready to swim back towards the bank.

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When she got there, Stan was there to help her out. He looked very worried.

‘Choppy! Choppy! Are you ok?’ Stan cried, pulling a soggy, cold, sorry looking Choppy from the lake.

‘I’m so sorry Stan,’ sobbed Choppy ‘We should never have run off where you couldn’t see us.’

Stan smiled and wrapped Choppy in his big coat and the three of them headed back towards the picnic spot, very glad that they knew what to do in this kind of emergency.

‘I’m never going to run off again’ said Choppy.

‘Neither am I’ said Ruff, happy his friend was safe.

And they both happily tucked into their lunch.

NOTESChoppy and Ruff were very lucky they knew what to do in this type of emergency but let’s have a look at the decisions they made that day to see if more sensible choices could have been made.

1. STOP AND THINKThe friends did not follow RNLI advice and look out for dangers at the lake. The bank was slippery and wet and the ground was unsafe. What do you think Choppy and Ruff should have done when Ruff’s kite blew into the water?

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2. STAY TOGETHERThey did not stay where Stan could see them. Sticking together is very important when you are near water. Never venture too far away from a grown up. Always hold a grown ups hand when asked to.

3. FLOATFortunately Choppy knew how to do this. She knew that if you accidentally fall into cold water it is important to float until you feel calm while your body gets used to the temperature and your breathing goes back to normal.

When your body experiences the shock of falling into cold water, the normal reaction is to gasp which often means you swallow water. By floating until you feel calm, Choppy was able to get her breathing back to normal and then swim to safety.

4. CALL 999/112Ruff knew it was important to get help immediately and he was lucky Stan was there. If you see someone in trouble in the water and there is nobody there to help, you should call 999/112 or find a grown up to do it for you. If you don’t have a phone, use your voice to shout as loud as possible until someone hears you.

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Why not practice the float position standing up in your learning space or at the next time you are at the swimming pool.


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STOP AND THINK STAY TOGETHER...don’t get lost on a busy beach. It also means that if you’re swimming in the water and you get into difficulty, that a grown up is there to help