Kitchen Accidents

Teaching Kids About Safety In The Kitchen

Authors: Ann A. Hertzler, Extension Specialist, Human Nutrition and Foods, Virginia Tech; and Karen DeBord, Extension Specialist, Family and Child Development, University of Missouri, Columbia

In this series, the developmental skills in the preschool years are divided into three general levels:

• 2-3 years = naming and identifying
• 3-5 years = sorting and classifying
• 4-6 years = ordering, sequencing and comprehension

Objectives

• To identify hot, heavy, sharp, and electrical kitchen hazards that can hurt.
  
• To name hot things and safety rules to prevent hot accidents.
  
• To name sharp equipment and safety rules to prevent sharp accidents.
  
• To name heavy and/or electrical kitchen tasks and ways to prevent heavy and/or electrical accidents.

Children don't know limits to prevent hurts and hazards. But adults cannot wait until children are hurt to teach safety. Help children sort out safety procedures to prevent serious accidents. Remember, children learn best in small groups. Set up experiences in centers throughout the room.

3-5 years

Name kitchen dangers we can sense.

Tour a kitchen and name hot, heavy, sharp, and electrical things.

• What can we see, hear, taste, smell, and feel that is dangerous?
• How are climbing and reaching dangerous?

How do kids and grownups have kitchen accidents?

Sit in a circle. First person tells about a kitchen accident someone had. The next person tells a rule to prevent the accident and then tells about another accident. Continue play until all have had a turn.

When should a child call an adult into the kitchen?

• using a knife
• reaching high places
• cooking

If an adult is not in the room when an accident happens, what should a child do?

4-6 years

Tell ways to deal with emergencies when someone is hurt.

Practice dialing emergency numbers and giving emergency messages on a disconnected phone.

• When should the emergency number be dialed? Put emergency numbers where accessible.
• What do we do for emergencies at home? at school? or at day care?
• How can you get help when serious accidents happen?

Classify family feelings.

Sometimes telling people they caused an accident can hurt their feelings.

• How can you tell if you hurt feelings?
• How do your feelings get hurt?
• What can you do to prevent hurting feelings?

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Hot--Unsafe Practices

3-5 years

Name hot and cold things.

Touch and feel a variety of hot and cold items:

• ice
• sunrays
• heater
• warm food
• refrigerator

Is it hot, warm, or cold?

Tell hot stories about how you got hurt.

Tell a hot story about getting hurt.

• Tape record the stories for the listening center.
• What could have been done differently?
• Let children draw a "hot" incident. Write down the hot story in the child's words. Bind into books to display before taking home.

4-6 years

Classify hot safety rules for the family.

Bring kitchen props to act out safety rules.

• Use humor and get children's input as to whether this is a "Do" rule or "Don't" rule.
• Let children make safety signs for the classroom for everyone.
• Name safety rules to prevent kitchen accidents.

Classify hot things in the kitchen.

One way to tell when something is hot is by touching it. Touching a hot burner, a hot oven rack, or a hot pan usually results in a burn.

What kitchen appliances can be hot? How can you tell?

We can feel	Tape record sounds of	Show pictures of
sunburn	fire	steam
heat from food dish	boiling water	flame/fire
oven	sizzling	bubbles
burner	teapot whistle	red burner
blister	other	sunburn/blisters

What can you see, feel, or hear without touching hot?

How many hot things can you count?

 

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Sharp--Unsafe Practices

3-5 years

Name sharp kitchen equipment and sharp rules for children.

What things in the kitchen are sharp?
paring knife	scissors	blender blades
toaster slots	sharp plastics	broken glass
sharp blade edges	potato peeler	can opener

What are signs of "too sharp" for children?

Tell safe handling tips for sharp kitchen equipment.

Use the kitchen as your classroom or refer to visuals as you discuss these questions.

• How should sharp things be handled?
• How are sharp things stored in a special way?
• How are knives and scissors handled safely for cutting?
• How are sharp things handled safely in washing?
• What kinds of glass things in the kitchen can break?
• Who should clean up broken glass?

Tell sharp stories about how you got hurt by something sharp.

• Tell, draw, cut, or paste together pictures of sharp stories. Cut out a pair of large scissors or knife on which to display stories for parents to read.
• How did you or others get hurt by sharp things?
• What could you have done differently?

Practice knife safety using a table knife or blunt scissors.

Use table knives or blunt scissors to cut. . .
cheese	hard cooked egg	Jell-O	yeast dough
parsley	meat loaf	play dough	banana
cookie dough	clay	cooked fruits/vegetables

Demonstrate and practice scissor/knife safety.

How do you hold a knife or scissors safely? Where are fingers placed when using a knife?

 

4-6 years

Name warning symbols.

What symbols or signs are used in your home to warn of danger?

What symbols or signs are used in the community?

 

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Heavy & Electrical Unsafe Practices

 

3-5 years

Name heavy & electrical things in the kitchen.

Tour a home or kitchen.

What do you see that is heavy? electrical?
big pots, pans, and bowls	watering cans
buckets	toaster
mixer	blender
microwave	food processor
full pitcher	popcorn popper

Weigh items on different types of scales.

Write a children's story.

• Ask children to draw a safety story. Write story words on the same page. Accept whatever is said.
• Read aloud a book about safety from your story collection.

 

4-6 years

Tell about heavy and electrical things and accidents.

Seeing grownups doing things in the kitchen looks easy. Children may have problems, especially since they are inexperienced, and not ready for surprises or emergencies. Talk about surprises.

• Act out heavy-electrical stories about how people can get hurt with heavy and electrical things.
• What could have been done differently?
• Name safety rules for heavy things and electrical things.
• Read aloud a story about family safety.

Practice what to do in an emergency.

• Practice calling 911 for emergencies.
• Learn how to say where you are and what the emergency is.

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Creative Play and Prop Boxes

Prop Box--Doctor/Nurse Kit
heart chart	stethoscope
food and nutrition pictures	surgical attire
rubber gloves	masks
cloth bandages or bandaids

Prop Box--First Aid Wagon
soap	bandaids	bandages
lotion	water droppers	cotton
tricycles	wagons	play cars

Prop Box--Food Equipment Demonstrator
work area--table top	apron
kitchen utensils	dolls and teddy's for audience
pamphlets to hand out	white coat (shirt)
bowls, pans	food models
cutting board	safety rules

Kitchens

Take field trips to day care kitchens, and other kitchens in the area. Note safety features.

Hats of Community Helpers/Food Helpers

Make sure hats of community and food helpers are clean and are regularly disinfected.

• fire fighters
• police officers
• construction workers
• baseball type fast food
• cooks
• chefs

Poems, Plays, and Puppets

• Make up rhyme(s) or finger play to Old McDonald with words like spoon, toaster, and knife instead of animal names.
• Mime picking up a heavy box, a light box, a small box, a big box.
• Collect empty cardboard cartons of different sizes for free play.

Make Danger Alert Signs for Small Children

• What color should it be?
• What is the symbol?
• Take field trips to fire stations, hospitals, police stations, and community places that take care of emergencies. Involve parents when possible.

Publication Number 348-655, May 1996

Permission to use the Mr. Yuk poison warning symbol given by Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, 1992.
Virginia Cooperative Extension Publication 350-060, Home Safety Check List for Families with Young Children