Learning About Farm Safety in the Early Years: Second Chances – Who Knows How Many You’ll Get?

This year’s National Farm Safety Week theme, “Second Chances – Who Knows How Many You’ll Get?”, offers a meaningful opportunity to explore safety and wellbeing with young children in early learning environments. Farms may seem a world away from the classroom. Still, they provide rich opportunities to explore concepts such as risk, responsibility, and reflection — all of which are deeply relevant in early childhood education.

Why Talk About Farm Safety With Young Children?

Children are naturally curious and love learning about animals, machinery, and the outdoors. By introducing farm safety in ways that make sense for young children, educators can support them to:

• Learn why it’s essential to stay aware and make safe choices
• Understand that accidents can happen — and that it’s okay to learn from them
• Build empathy and a sense of responsibility through stories, role play, and shared discussions

Near Misses and Second Chances: Learning Through Play

Second chances aren’t always big, dramatic moments. Sometimes, they’re the small things — a trip that didn’t turn into a fall, or a forgotten rule that gets remembered just in time. These are powerful moments for learning.

In early childhood settings, we can explore these “near misses” through play, stories, and everyday talk:

Storytelling

Read or tell stories where a character almost gets into trouble but finds a way to turn it around. Pause to ask the children what they think the character learned.

Pretend Play

Set up a small-world farm with animals, fences, tractors, and signs. As children play, listen for how they manage safety, or gently guide them to think it through.

Drawing and Talking

Invite children to draw a farm and tell you about it. What keeps the animals safe? Where do the people go? These chats can lead to surprising insights.

Circle Time Conversations

Talk about times when we’ve all made mistakes or nearly had an accident. What helped us avoid it? What could we do next time?

Supporting Educators and Families

Educators can use Farm Safety Week as an opportunity to connect with families, especially those in rural or agricultural communities. Consider:

• Sharing resources or safety tips in newsletters
• Encouraging children to talk with their families about safety at home or on farms
• Registering for the Farm Safety Week media pack by emailing info@farmsafe.org.au

Building a Culture of Safety from the Start

By engaging with Farm Safety Week in early childhood settings, we are helping children build a foundation of awareness, empathy, and responsibility.

References and Resources

• Farmsafe Australia
• Child Safety and Teaching Kits
• Child Safety on Farms
• Child Safety on Farms Information Sheet

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