Activity 13:
Signs, Signs, Everywhere

To introduce participants to the various street signs and provide instruction on how to properly obey the street signs
To teach participants the meaning of various street signs they will encounter throughout their community

Illustrations of the following signs from the
“Be Aware” Safety Cards:

A living room or small outdoor space
The rural or urban roads and paths in and around the home location (school or community centre/playground)

Participants are making observations and are inquiring about signs they are unfamiliar with.
Participants are moving in proper crew formation.
Participants are respecting the environment around them.
Participants are demonstrating the proper behaviours required at the identified signs.

Ensure that you carefully go over crew walking guidelines and review the pedestrian safety skills they have learned before leaving the home base.
Encourage participants to move in small crews with a helper if they are helping to deliver the program.
Encourage participants to be respectful of the environment.

Guidelines

As you will be taking participants out on a walk you will need to have (in advance of the session) prepared a walking route. The route needs to include all the signs that you discussed and talked about earlier in the session and to be accessible for all participants.
Before the participants head out on the route provide them with an opportunity to share with one another their knowledge of signs. Give each participant a sign and ask them to demonstrate to the rest of the crew the correct and safest way to behave when seeing the sign while walking. Have this discussion with the participants in a small comfortable space.
Head out on the travel route and when participants see signs stop and ask one of them to describe what the sign means and how the crew should respond.
Have all participants practice the proper way to behave when seeing each sign.

If some of the participants are not following proper behaviour take the time to go over the proper behaviour again so they can understand. Don’t be afraid to demonstrate proper behaviour.
Acknowledge the participants as they properly demonstrate the behaviours at each stopping point along the route.
If your area does not have enough traffic signs, you can make traffic signs to use like flash cards and flash the signs randomly throughout the walk.
TIP: Randomly flash fun, made-up signs like “Crab Walk Sidewalk” or “One Foot Jump Crossing” on sidewalks that all participants can engage in.
If the crew encounters a path or intersection that is not marked clearly, be sure to demonstrate how to properly cross it.

At the end of the outing, be sure to take a few minutes to go over what was seen and address any questions that were not answered during the walk.