Lesson planZap! What Do I Do?
Become an electricity safety hero! Learn to spot the signs, know the rules, and feel confident around the electrical world.
Lesson planBecome an electricity safety hero! Learn to spot the signs, know the rules, and feel confident around the electrical world.
Wilfred Walrus and Wayne the Worm are relaxing on the sofa when a lamp starts flickering! Children will learn the key phrase “Stop. Step back!” through a catchy call-and-response song.
Before pressing play, ask the children: “What would you do if a light started flickering?”
Take a few answers, then watch to find out!
After watching, check what the children remember from the video.
Prompt questions: What happened to the lamp? What did Wayne want to do? What did Wilfred say? Can you remember the three words?
Guide the children towards the key phrase: Stop. Step back. Tell a grown-up. Practise saying it together as a group.
Explain that electricity sometimes tells us something is not quite right. Explore the two warning signs from the video:
Warning sign 1: Flickering lights. If a light starts blinking on and off, that’s electricity saying “something might be wrong.” We don’t touch it – we stop and step back.
Warning sign 2: Buzzing or funny noises. If a plug or appliance starts making a buzzing or popping sound, we NEVER touch it. We stop, step back, and tell a grown-up.
Reinforce grown-ups and electricity experts know how to fix these things safely – it’s not for children to investigate!
Read out simple scenarios and ask children to show what they would do. Encourage them to physically act out “stop, step back, tell a grown-up” each time.
Example scenarios: You’re drawing at the table and the lamp next to you starts flickering. What do you do?
You hear a buzzing sound coming from a plug in the wall. What do you do?
The TV makes a loud pop and turns off by itself. What do you do?
A light in the hallway keeps blinking on and off. What do you do?
You see a grown-up unplugging something that was buzzing. Why are they doing that?
Children can take turns being the “grown-up” who comes to help!
Replay the song section of the video or sing it together from memory.
This is a call-and-response song, perfect for getting the whole group involved! Wilfred calls and the children respond.
Add movement: 1. Freeze 2. Step back 3. Point to a grown-up on each chorus These actions reinforce the message through muscle memory.
Bring the group together and recap the two warning signs and what to do about them.
Ask can you name something electricity might do to tell us something is wrong? And what do we always do?
Ready for school, home, and everywhere in between!
