Chances are, a preschooler has never considered the features of a car other than as the place where he is strapped into a car seat for a ride. But knowing when a car is coming or going is an important part of pedestrian safety. Rope off a section of parking lot for a demonstration. Keep the children back behind a viewing line for safety. Ask an assistant to drive a car slowly past the viewing area. Ask the children whether the car is coming toward them or going away and how they can tell. Repeat the exercise several times with and without the lights on and discuss how to tell the front of the car from the back by observing white headlights or red taillights. Each time, ask whether it would be safe to cross and establish that you should never cross in front of an oncoming car but wait until it is past and headed away from you.
Different traffic sounds offer clues as to what is going on in the vicinity and can provide a warning to pedestrians and drivers of potential dangers. A car starting can signal walkers to look for cars backing out of driveways or parking spots into the walking path. Horns, sirens and screeching tires warn those around to quickly get out of the way of danger. The sound of air brakes or backup signals are a sign that a large, commercial vehicle is nearby and may be crossing your path soon so be on the lookout. The sound of regular traffic on the move makes a different sound than traffic slowing down or idling at a light or stop sign. Take the children on a listening walk around the neighborhood and ask them to identify how many different types of traffic sounds they can hear and practice responding appropriately.
Understanding traffic signals helps pedestrians know when the cars will be stopping and starting and when it is safe to walk. Make a paper model traffic light and a crosswalk signal with covers over each light. Ask some of the children to pretend they are cars driving along a road and have the rest of the children stand at a "street corner" waiting to cross. Tell the drivers to watch the stoplight as they approach the intersection for whether to go, slow or stop. Have an assistant stand across from the pedestrians with the crosswalk signal. When the stoplight is green, the crosswalk should read, "Don't Walk" or have the red pedestrian symbol; when the stoplight is yellow, the crosswalk should flash "Don't Walk" or pedestrian symbol; when the stoplight is red, the crosswalk should read, "Walk" or show the white or green pedestrian symbol. Lead children to notice the correlation between the stoplight and crosswalk signals. Help them identify that, although the yellow stoplight and flashing crosswalk mean traffic is slowing and getting ready to stop, it is not completely safe to cross until the stoplight turns red and the crosswalk turns to "Walk." Take a neighborhood walk and practice watching signals and identifying when it is safe to cross.
Safe pedestrian crossing, even at a crosswalk, involves more than just seeing one car stopped. Explain that especially at a four-way stop, it is important to check all directions before crossing because one direction may have a stop signal while another has a go for turning. Therefore, teach children that it is important to look both ways in a left-right-left pattern, including the turn lanes on cross streets before proceeding into the crosswalk. They should also always wait for an adult or older teen and cross the street together. The Academy for Educational Development offers some preschool fingerplays and songs to help children remember the rules of pedestrian safety.