About this practice environment

Where the guidance comes from

Safety Buddy doesn't invent safety rules. Each lesson below is grounded in guidance from trusted national organizations, adapted for young children. This list names where each lesson's ideas come from — it isn't a claim of expert review, endorsement, or certification.

• Helper Buddy

  Shaped by early-childhood developmental guidance from the CDC's early-childhood milestones resources, NAEYC's principles of child development, and the Office of Head Start's early learning framework, used to keep the activity age-appropriate and adult-facilitated. The ages 5-6 "Buddy's Stay-Put Plan" lesson also draws on NCMEC's published KidSmartz guidance (grades K-5) for the check-first-before-going-with-anyone and stay-put-and-ask-a-helper principles.

• Emergency Buddy

  Informed by FEMA/Ready Kids family-emergency-planning guidance, American Red Cross youth-preparedness guidance, and NAEYC developmentally appropriate practice, at a high level.

• Fire Buddy

  Informed by NFPA's Learn Not to Burn program, FEMA/U.S. Fire Administration guidance, American Red Cross youth preparedness guidance, and NAEYC developmentally appropriate practice, at a high level.

• Poison Buddy

  Informed by Poison Control/America's Poison Centers prevention guidance, AAP/HealthyChildren.org pediatric safety guidance, CDC child-injury-prevention guidance, and CPSC household-product-safety guidance, at a high level.

• Choking Buddy

  Informed by CDC unintentional-injury data, CPSC small-parts and choking-hazard guidance, and AAP eating-safety guidance, at a high level.

• Staying Safe Away from Home

  Informed by CDC family-reunification guidance, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children prevention guidance, and NAEYC developmentally appropriate practice, at a high level.

• Body Buddy

  Informed by National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (KidSmartz), NAEYC, and AAP/HealthyChildren.org guidance, at a high level.

• Water Buddy

  Informed by CDC drowning-prevention data, American Red Cross water-safety guidelines, and AAP/HealthyChildren.org guidance, at a high level.

• Animal Buddy

  Informed by CDC injury-prevention guidance, American Veterinary Medical Association safe-interaction guidance, American Red Cross family safety guidance, and the Humane Society's animal-control public education, at a high level.

• Weather Buddy

  Informed by FEMA Ready.gov/Ready Kids guidance, American Red Cross emergency-preparedness guidance, NOAA National Weather Service safety guidance, and CDC preparedness guidance, at a high level.

• Travel Buddy

  Informed by NHTSA child-passenger, school-bus, bicycle, and pedestrian safety guidance, Safe Kids Worldwide and National Safety Council transportation guidance, CPSC bicycle-helmet guidance, and AAP/HealthyChildren.org guidance, at a high level.

• Street Buddy

  Informed by NHTSA child-pedestrian and crossing guidance, Safe Kids Worldwide pedestrian-injury-prevention guidance, American Red Cross street-crossing guidance, and NAEYC developmentally appropriate practice, at a high level.

• Playground Buddy

  Informed by CPSC's Public Playground Safety Handbook (Publication 325), AAP/HealthyChildren.org playground guidance, the National Program for Playground Safety's S.A.F.E. framework, Nemours KidsHealth playground guidance, and CDC playground-injury data, at a high level.

This content has not undergone specialized expert review for every topic area. See Our Sources for topic-specific scope notes.