Reception children being taught how to use sparklers safely. WITH REAL SPARKELERS

[FrameyMcFrame]

Apparently they're going to be practising name writing and letter formation with sparklers!?!?
Isn't that just asking for trouble?
A permission slip has come home, I really don't want my 4 year old using a sparkler. So I won't be giving permission, but am I being unreasonable to think that it's an insane idea?

If you don't want to framey then don't. That's why there's a consent form. If you don't feel your child would be receptive or coordinated enough or listen well or any other reason that a child in this situation wouldn't be safe then don't sign.

The option being there though fir parents who feel their kids are up to it is not a bad thing.

You do what you feel is best :)

I will do but I also think it shouldn't be happening in reception. Year 3s etc I could understand, but surely a school should be sticking by the age limit of sparlkers?
To me it's just showing that they haven't got a grasp on the basic needs of the children i.e keeping them safe and sticking by the rules in order to do so.

I think it's a jolly good thing - if only more schools were encouraged to help children explore instead of panicking about every tiny risk. Brave teachers - I certainly wouldn't want to supervise a class full of excited four and five year olds with sparklers! I'm sure they must have filled out oodles of risk assessments and will be extremely careful.

I'm not happy with other things that are happening in the school too, so not to drip feed, (sorry) and perhaps that's obvious from my posts, this is just another example of strange practices from them.

Will it help to see the risk assessment? So you can see what precautions are in place? Ask to see it. There will be one.

Bit some of the children will be five. And some will be mentally and physically above their peers at 4.

There's a choice here and they aren't asking people to do anything they aren't comfortable with.

These "rules" aren't set in stone. They are a rough age that some one thought that thru would be able to understand. That age in reality could be 2 or it could be never. It depends on each individual child and they are asking the parents first. I honestly can't see the problem.

I would sign but that's me both my kids had djsrers under supervision. But I would not think bad if people who chose not to. And the teachers won't either. There's likely something planned for those unable to participate and your child won't be the only one :)

Sparklers. Auto correct field day today

I read 'Never give sparklers to under-5s' as advising against giving them a pack of sparklers and a lighter and letting them get on with it .
It's not a law.

I understand that giving them to a larger number of young children is a v different situation from what we might do with our 4 in the back garden of course.

You know your child and you know the school - your call entirely.

Hmm, I read it as... 'Dont give sparklers to under 5s'
When the fire service and the NHS website et all say it I think schools should also tow the line.

But on the same note you could give it too seven yr old guilt free whilst having no idea if try are up to it yet a body says five. If your prepared to go against it with one child you kinda have to prepare to go against it with another if they are up to it. It's a guide line, like weaning, like nuts, like a&e seats.

Bloody phone. Car seats

Obviously car seats are law the point is that the weight guide lines are 20lb for the stage 2 or nine months. The two arent mutually exclusive. You wouldn't stick a 14lb nine month old in it any more than you would keep a 18 month old kid on the stage one because it said up to 13 kg.

ooh, how exciting!

What else is the school doing?

So far, they sound great!

Yes, lots of activities have risk, but, the stakes are high with sparklers, and not so much with conkers.

It's not just the op's child's ability to handle it safely, it is the group of 4-5 yr olds they are with.

18 month old kid on the stage one because it said up to 13 kg

I did (DD2 was very tiny)

OP, why don't you ask how they plan to keep the children safe during this activity? Maybe their explanation will put your mind at rest.

FWIW I've allowed children, my own and childminded, well under 5 to use sparklers, light fires, ride ponies, use sharp knives, play in streams, use hammers and nails and probably lots of other 'dangerous' activities I can't remember. I've always made sure they were well enough supervised to be safe. A two year old can enjoy a sparkler safely if an adult stands behind them, making sure their arm moves within safe limits and the look on their face can is worth the effort ten times over.

It was an example gold

Trying to point out that being five doesn't actually mean anything. It's the individual child and that's gear the consent forms are for.

It's surely better young with consent than done at 7 , seen as ok due to guide lines and no consent sought.

It's surely better young with consent than done at 7

Absolutely!

If you're going to educate children about using something safely then the best time to do it is probably when they are at the lower limit of the age guidance. Once they're 7 they will have been using them for two years.

I wouldn't have felt comfortable with Reception age child handling sparklers unless their hand was being held - at the same time - by an adult and then it taken straight off her once it went out.

We had some at home a year or 2 ago when my BIL came to visit. All kids involved were 7 and even though they had been told the dangers, and were being supervised almost 1 to 1, my nephew in the blink of an eye, still went to pick one up that had been dropped by his sister!

I have never been a fan of sparklers or even having fireworks at home. The risk involved just doesn't seem worth it!

I'd be gutted I wasn't the first to do it with her

I'm very much if the showing and allowing correct handling, my five year old makes the morning pancakes, toast, prepares cucumber and tomatoes as she needs to know how to handle a hot, sharp, electrical tools correctly and better to do this early so she doesn't take it into her fool head at twelve to butter the bread before putting it in the toaster (I'm looking at you dear brother)

There's a reason children need to learn to handle knives, toasters, play near water safely etc
They don't need to handle sparklers.

They don't need to handle sparklers.

They don't need to but, if they've been taught how to do it safely at school, they will be safer when someone offers them one and that could be at a friend's house, or with parents who can't be bothered to supervise them properly.

Wow! A really useful piece of education I think. I bet your DC will get the right hump about missing out.

I guess I'm biased, though, I mean dd2 is that kid you would find in the corner of the sandpit eating gravel bless her. As much as I love her she's not the sharpest tool in the box. Dead bugs for lunch anyone? :o

Yet even she understood the basic instruction last year. It goes out. Drop it, stand back. She was just under two. If she understood there's hope for everyone :o

I think its a great idea.

I can remember being allowed sparklers at primary school (not as an educational thing though, just because the school had a fireworks display and it was fun). The teacher was very careful to spend time teaching the receptions each year how dangerous sparklers and fireworks are if not used responsibily. I can also remember a boy transferring in during year 4 and him being the only child stupid enough to mess around with the sparklers and try to get past the tape which marked the safe distance from the fireworks because the rest of us knew how stupid that was from when we were little.

I love my children learning to do potentially dangerous things safely. I just don't understand why other people don't. I would be delighted if a school was sensible enough to do things like this- most are so wimpy-wet. But they have to be because wimpy- wet parents insist on it.