Safety Party 4yr

Safety party When our daughter Kennedy's celebrated her fourth birthday, all she talked about being when she grows up was a police officer. Though the fascination has dwindled over the past three years, residents of our community are still talking about that birthday party!  We opted to have a police and fire safety party to promote both education and help Kennedy's friends feel comfortable around those men and women in uniform.  Keeping with the theme, representatives from several local police agencies brought their police cruisers to the party site, illuminated the lights on top and allowed the children to snoop through the interesting details inside, like the radios and the cage where the crooks are held in the backseat. One officer brought along his "police bike," which the kids found "very cool."  A public affairs officer with the Kentucky State Police also spoke at the party about topics such as "Stranger Danger" and Halloween safety tips -- since her birthday party was held in October. He topped his speech off with a wonderful rendition of the book, "Barney Goes to the Police Station," before distributing plastic police badges and KSP pencils to the children present at the party.  I borrowed a McGruff the Crime Dog costume from a local police department and my father made a special visit in costume to the event. (Grandpas will do anything!) Tying up the night, a local officer fingerprinted the children on-hand and we took a tour of a volunteer fire station next door to the party site -- seeing the inside of fire trucks and a demonstration of the Jaws of Life.  Decorations included party plates, cups and napkins decorated with police cars and fire engines. Police tape was used as streamers and traffic lights as well as small blue and red emergency lights were placed on tables throughout the room. The full size sheet cake birthday cake had Hot Wheels emergency vehicles on top of a highway. For favors, we stuffed treatbags with jailer keychains, flashlights, badges, Just Say No stickers, personalized pencils, candy and toy police cars, ambulances and firetrucks. The kids loved it! Hope this helps anyone looking for a safety party idea. Educational and well as active! Tammie  Ashland, Kentucky