Teaching About Ambulances: Preschool Song and Activity

Quick Take

When there is an emergency and young children could be involved, it is important to teach them what to do ahead of time. Using an ambulance song with preschool students will do just that. It’s the beginning of child safety, and lives have in fact been saved because kids knew what to do.

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What Is an Emergency?

Preschool is the perfect age to teach children about what to do in case of an emergency. Teaching your preschoolers about calling 911 and getting an ambulance to come for help is a valuable lesson that must be learned.

Explain to your students that you only call 911 in an emergency. Brainstorm with the students what is considered an emergency so they understand that you don’t call for an ambulance to come because you lost your favorite toy. Help them understand who will come when they call for help and what will happen. Use this ambulance preschool song and activity to help explain the importance of calling for help.

Help Is on the Way

A creative way to get your preschoolers to remember to call for help is to teach them a song. To help the song become interactive use a flannel board to teach the students. This is a great way to visually show the students the song and it will help them remember the words. Use flannel board pieces such as an ambulance, telephone, the numbers 911, a house and a person that will help bring the song to life.

Help is on the Way

Sung to “The Bear Went Over the Mountain”

Call 911 for an ambulance,

Call 911 for an ambulance if someone needs some help.

You’ll hear the siren and see the flashing lights,

You"ll hear the siren and see the flashing lights,

You’ll hear the siren and see the flashing lights; help is on the way.

The ambulance will come and help,

The ambulance will come and help and save your friend today.

If you need help call 911,

If you need help call 911 and an ambulance will come!

Just What IS an Ambulance?

You will need to explain to the students that an ambulance is what transports sick or injured people to the hospital. Next, ask the students if they have ever been in an ambulance before and let them share their experiences. This will give the students that have never been in an ambulance the opportunity to understand what it’s like. Then share with the students that they will be creating an ambulance collage.

This preschool ambulance activity should be used in correlation with the song. After the students learn the song they can use their fine motor skills to create an ambulance collage out of newspaper and magazine clippings. Brainstorm things that are related to emergencies with the students, then have them search through newspapers and magazines and cut out related pictures, and then glue them onto an ambulance-shaped paper to create a collage. Once their collage is completed, display them in the room with the title, “Help Is On the Way.”

When to Call 911

It is essential for preschoolers to understand when it’s appropriate to call 911. When children hear the sirens and see the flashing lights, as well as see the men and women in uniform, they may get scared. Teaching your students an ambulance preschool song and activity will reassure them that they don’t need to be afraid. They can learn what to do in an emergency. For more information and a lesson plan on safety for preschool, read the article, Lesson Plan and Safety for Preschool .