Jenn, we got a couple of neat ideas in a pub ed class. One was to use a grey blanket held a foot or two over the ground. Explain to the kids that it represents the smoke in a fire and that they need to crawl low to the floor to crawl under it. They can "practice" and have fun at the same time. Another idea was to have a tool box with several toys as well as things like candles, matches, lighters, and a couple of tools (screwdriver and hammer worked for us) Take each item one at a time and ask tool for a grown up or toy for a kid? Start with the hammer and screwdriver and then work up to the matches and things. This worked really well for us. For 4th and 5th graders, we did a boys vs girls or teachers vs kids game with questions from the material we cover regularly with them. The older children really enjoy the competition
I am trying to get our open house chairperson to look into buying interlocking soft tiles 24"X24" in four colors and soft tiles with letters on them which I have seen at Lowes. You can use this for stop drop and roll and spell it out with the letter tiles. I have heard you can buy a area rug and put cushion padding for the samething.
One firefighter has a skit he does where he gathers parents and their childen in a square. He use objects around the station to make up a child's bedroom. A hose to outline the room and a closet. A floor creeper to be a bed, a blanket or sheet, a smoke detector, a bell and a doll to be the child. Now what he does is what would you do if a fire happens in the middle of the night. The doll is ME. Smoke detector goes off. The child runs and hides in the closet and covers themself.
The bell rings, firefighter dresses in front of the crowd, crawls into the room, feeling, calling, turning the bed over and then takes off the mask and asks where is the child IN THE CLOSET and he missed them. The firefighter will tell the children and parents what they should do to prevent such a thing and what to do to get help to them.. You can make it better using a small bed or other ideas. I think the tiles could be used to outline the room and just add the other things.
A great game that can be played is "bucket brigade". You will need 4 inexpensive inflatable kiddie pools and and as many pails or buckets you can get your hands on
Explain how fires were fought in days of old, then fill 2 inflatable kiddie pools with water and place the other two a short distance away.
Set up two teams...
The object of "Bucket Brigade" is to pass the buckets of water down the line and fill the empty pool, then empty that pool the same way and refill the original pool.
First team to empty and refill their pool wins.
If you have a Dairy Queen, MickeyD's or other fast food place in town, see if they will donate items such as certificates for ice cream cones or fries.