This activity will promote recognition of police uniforms and the color blue in toddlers. Draw images of a shirt, a pair of pants and a police officer hat, or print out blackline images of these articles of clothing. Distribute the images to children and explain that these articles of clothing look like the clothing that police officers wear. Show toddlers blue crayons and ask them to name the color, or tell them the name of the color. Explain to them that this is the color of the clothing police officers wear. Encourage children to use the crayons to color in the pictures you've provided them with.
Sing a song with toddlers that will help promote an understanding of the important role police officers play. This song is sung to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot."
I'm a police officer,
Dressed in blue.
If you have a problem,
I'll help you.
Pick up the phone and dial 9-1-1,
I'll be coming
On the run.
Have children pretend they are police officers through a dramatic play activity. Set out police officer costumes, hand-held stop signs, whistles, badges and perhaps cardboard boxes that are painted to resemble police cars. Encourage children to use the materials to act like they are police officers; they can help one another cross a pretend road, ride in the cardboard police cars and practice keeping order in the classroom or in your home. Through dramatic play, children gain a greater understanding of exactly what it is that police officers do.
Help children create police badges that they can wear. Draw the shape of a badge onto poster bored and write the letter "P" on the badge. Explain to children that the badge represents a police officers badge; point out the letter "P" and explain to children that "police" begins with the letter "P." Have children color in their badges with gold crayons and then help them cut the badges out. Glue a safety pin to the back of the cut out badges and help children pin them to their shirts.