My kids and I are dedicated pedestrians, but sometimes it's scary and stressful to navigate traffic-heavy areas, especially as the season darkens. We don't let that detour us, though. We've got places to go and we have fun getting there.
My eldest daughter, for a Girl Scout project, has recently begun a campaign to raise funds for a much-needed sidewalk in our town. In the course of this project, we've collected many resources including printable coloring pages and worksheets and online activities.
Pedestrian Safety Online Activities
Before you hand out the printed sheets, try this online Safer Journey Interactive Pedestrian Safety Awareness course from the U.S. Department of Transportation Highway Administration and this free Pedestrian Safety for Kids ebook.
Printable Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Coloring Pages
The following pedestrian safety resources for parents, educators, and kids are sourced mainly from Safekids.org and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
- Pedestrian Safety Skills 1 (pdf) - Safekids.org (5 pages)
- Pedestrian Safety Skills 2 (pdf) - Safekids.org (5 pages)
- Safe Kids Walk this Way (pdf) - Safekids.org (1 page)
- Safety on Wheels Coloring Book (pdf) - Safekids.org (16 pages)
- Let's Be Careful Crossing the Street (pdf) - NHTSA
Printable Pedestrian Safety Lesson Plans
- Pedestrian Safety Lesson Plan (pdf) - Safekids.org (ages 10-14)
- Child Pedestrian Safety Curriculum - NHTSA (grades K-1, 2-3, 4-5)
- A Kid's Guide to Safe Walking (pdf) - NHTSA
Printable Pedestrian Safety Activity Sheets and Worksheets
- Pedestrian Safety Activity Sheet (pdf) Safekids.org
- A Secret Code (pdf) - NHTSA
Promoting Walkable Communities
Along the course of our pedestrian safety skills learning, my kids and I discovered several organizations with the mission of promoting walkable pedestrian-friendly communities.
Feetfirst.info. Feet First, a Washington State organization, hosts pedestrian safety events and walks and "help[s] people take steps that create better places to live, learn, shop, work and play—a world that cares about health, community and design." Try their Community Map Making Handbook (pdf), take a walk, and assess your community's walkability.
Walkinginfo.org. The Pedestrian and Bicycle information Center (PBIC) hosts events and provides information and community assessment tools and resources to support the Walk Friendly Communities program. At PBIC, you'll also find pedestrian crash and safety facts.
If you're interested in pedestrian injury and fatality statistics, you can find those at most of the websites listed above: Safekids.org, walkinginfo.org, safety.fhwa.dot.gov, and nhtsa.gov.
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- USDA MyPlate Printables and Activities for Kids
- Hiking With Young Children
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Sara McGrath - Sara is a veteran homeschool mom of three, Usborne consultant, and the author of Unschooling: A Lifestyle of Learning.
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