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Sunny Safety Safari

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Lesson Plan

Sunny Safety Safari Plan

Students will learn and practice key summer safety habits—applying sunscreen, staying hydrated, and water awareness—through an engaging story, song, and hands-on role-play.

Building early summer safety awareness helps Pre-Kers form lifelong habits to prevent sunburn, dehydration, and water-related accidents in a fun, memorable way.

Audience

Pre-K

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Story, song, and hands-on play

Materials

Prep

Prepare Materials

10 minutes

Step 1

Safari Parade Warm-Up

5 minutes

  • Invite children to each put on a Safari Explorer Paper Hat
  • Lead a “Sunshine Safari Parade” around the room to the tune of the opening bars of the song
  • Ask: “What do we need to stay safe on our summer safari?” and list answers on a board

Step 2

Story Time: Sunny Safety Safari

10 minutes

  • Gather students on the reading rug with the Sun Safety Storybook
  • Read the story, pausing to ask:
    • “Why do we wear sunscreen?”
    • “What happens if we don’t drink water?”
  • Show the Sun Protection Visual Poster when discussing sun safety

Step 3

Song and Movement

5 minutes

  • Play the Sunny Safety Safari Song Audio
  • Teach students the chorus:
    “Stay hydrated, cover your skin,
    Have fun and safe adventures begin!”
  • Add motions: mime drinking water and applying sunscreen on arms

Step 4

Hands-On Role-Play

5 minutes

  • Divide children into small groups at the Hydration Station
  • Demonstrate pouring water into Plastic Cups and saying “Drink to stay cool!”
  • Let each child pour a cup and pretend to apply sunscreen using the Sunscreen Bottle with Applicator
  • Use Water Awareness Picture Cards to discuss safe water behaviors

Step 5

Cool-Down Reflection

5 minutes

  • Reconvene on the reading rug
  • Invite each student to share one safety habit they’ll use this summer
  • Reinforce the three key habits: wear sunscreen, drink water, and stay aware around water
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Slide Deck

Sunny Safety Safari

A fun Pre-K adventure to learn sun protection, hydration, and water awareness!

Welcome everyone! Introduce yourself and get children excited about our Sunny Safety Safari adventure. Remind them this session lasts about 30 minutes and we’ll learn three important summer safety habits.

Lesson Objectives

• Apply sunscreen correctly
• Drink water to stay hydrated
• Practice safe behaviors near water

Point to each objective as you read it aloud. Encourage students to say “Yes!” when they hear something they’ll learn today.

Safari Parade Warm-Up

  1. Put on your Safari Explorer Hat
  2. Parade around the room singing “Safari, safari…”
  3. Ask: “What do we need to stay safe?”

Have students put on their Safari Explorer Hats. Lead a short march around the room to the rhythm of the opening song bars. List their answers on a board.

Story Time: Sunny Safety Safari

• Read the story together
• Pause to ask:
– Why do we wear sunscreen?
– What happens if we don’t drink water?

Gather on the reading rug. Use the Sun Safety Storybook. Pause at the prompt questions and let students answer. Show excitement and praise participation.

Sun Protection Visual Poster

[View the poster and discuss:]
• Wide-brim hat
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen SPF 30+
• Seek shade

Display the Sun Protection Visual Poster and point out each item (hat, shade, sunscreen). Ask students to name when they use each one.

Sunny Safety Safari Song

“Stay hydrated, cover your skin,
Have fun and safe adventures begin!”

Motions:
– Pretend to drink water
– Rub arms like applying sunscreen

Play the Sunny Safety Safari Song Audio. Teach the chorus line by line, adding motions: cup to lips for drinking, hands rubbing for sunscreen.

Hands-On Role-Play

  1. Pour water into cups—“Drink to stay cool!”
  2. Apply pretend sunscreen on arms
  3. Show a Water Awareness Card and discuss safe water behavior

Divide into small groups at the Hydration Station. Model each step before letting kids try. Use picture cards to spark discussion about safe water play.

Cool-Down Reflection

• What safety habit will you use this summer?
• Remind: Wear sunscreen • Drink water • Stay aware by water

Gather back on the rug. Invite each child to share one thing they learned. Validate every answer and reinforce the three safety habits.

Key Takeaways

✔️ Apply sunscreen before going outdoors
✔️ Drink water throughout the day
✔️ Always stay with an adult near water

Summarize the lesson and encourage families to practice these habits at home. Thank students for joining the safari!

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Worksheet

Sunny Safety Worksheet

Let’s practice the summer safety habits we learned on our Sunny Safety Safari!

1. Matching

Draw a line to match each picture on the left to the safety habit on the right. Use the Sun Protection Visual Poster to help you remember!

  1. 🧴 A. Drink water to stay cool


  2. 💧 B. Pour water into your cup and sip


  3. 🧢 C. Put on sunscreen before playing





    ## 2. Coloring
    Color the pictures below to show how you stay safe in the sun.

  • Safari Explorer Hat:






  • Glass of Water:









    ## 3. Circle the Safety Habit
    Look at each pair of words and circle the one that keeps you safe in the sun or near water.

  1. wear sunscreen    wear flip-flops

  2. drink water    drink soda

  3. walk by the pool  run by the pool





    ## 4. Draw Your Safari Adventure
    Draw yourself on a Sunny Safety Safari! Show us what you’ll wear and what you’ll carry to stay safe this summer.











Great job! Share your worksheet with a friend or family member and teach them your three summer safety habits: apply sunscreen, drink water, and stay aware around water.

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lenny

Activity

Hydration Station Role-Play

Time: 5 minutes

Materials:

Steps

  1. Gather in Small Groups
    Divide children into groups of 3–4 at the Hydration Station table.
  2. Model Water Pouring
    • Teacher pours water into a plastic cup and says, “Drink to stay cool!”
    • Emphasize slow, careful pouring and tipping the cup to sip.
  3. Child Practice: Hydration
    • Each child takes a turn pouring water and repeating, “Drink to stay cool!”
    • Offer praise for careful pouring and sipping.
  4. Model Sunscreen Application
    • Show children how to pump or squeeze sunscreen onto your arm.
    • Rub it in using circular motions, saying, “Cover our skin to keep it safe!”
  5. Child Practice: Sun Protection
    • Each child pretends to apply sunscreen to arms or legs with the applicator.
    • Encourage even coverage and gentle rubbing.
  6. Water Safety Discussion
    • Hold up a card from the Water Awareness Picture Cards.
    • Ask: “What do you see? Is this safe or unsafe? How can we stay safe by water?”
    • Reinforce looking both ways, holding a grown-up’s hand, and staying where you can be seen.

Discussion Prompts

  • Why is it important to drink water when we play in the sun?
  • What could happen if we don’t drink enough water?
  • How does sunscreen help our skin?
  • When should we ask an adult before going near water?

Safety Reflection

  • Invite each child to share one thing they did at the station (poured water, drank, applied sunscreen, named safe water behavior).
  • Reinforce the three key habits:
    1. Drink water to stay cool
    2. Apply sunscreen to protect your skin
    3. Stay close to an adult near water

Great job practicing your summer safety skills!

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lenny

Cool Down

Safari Reflection

  • Gather on the reading rug in a circle.
  • Pass the Safari Explorer Hat around. When it’s your turn, share one safety habit you’ll practice this summer (e.g., “I will drink water,” “I will wear sunscreen,” “I will stay with an adult near water”).


  • Review each habit as a group:
    1. Apply sunscreen before going outside
    2. Drink water to stay cool
    3. Stay close to an adult near water
  • Celebrate: Clap together and say, “Hooray for safe Sunny Safety Safari adventures!”
lenny
lenny