Today was an exciting and educational day for our preschoolers! We had a very special guest visit our classroom—Austin’s dad, Jason, who is a firefighter. Since the children have been showing a keen interest in learning about firefighters and how they rescue people, he kindly offered to come in and share his experiences with us.
The preschoolers were eager to ask questions about fire hydrants, firetrucks, and the important role firefighters play in keeping us safe. Jason took the time to answer all their curious inquiries, helping them understand the many responsibilities that come with being a firefighter.
One of the highlights of the visit was when he showed us his firefighter outfit and demonstrated the steps involved in putting it on. The children watched in amazement as he geared up, layer by layer, and then introduced us to the air tank he uses when he enters a fire. We were all surprised to learn that with all the equipment on, firefighters carry nearly 200 extra pounds into a burning building! This led to a wonderful discussion about the strength and bravery it takes to do such an important job.
We also learned about the ladder truck and how it can extend 100 feet into the air, allowing firefighters to reach tall buildings during emergencies. The preschoolers were fascinated by how high the ladder could go and imagined themselves climbing up to save people just like real firefighters.
Before Jason arrived, we had been working on a fun project—creating our own fire hydrant to go with our firetruck! We discovered that the fire hydrants in Waterloo are yellow, but when given the choice, the preschoolers decided to make ours red and blue. This creative decision-making added a unique and personal touch to our project.
Now that we have both a firetruck and a fire hydrant, I wonder how the preschoolers will incorporate everything they learned into their imaginative play. Will they take on the role of firefighters, rescuing people and putting out pretend fires? Will they explore new scenarios based on the exciting facts they discovered today?
This visit was a fantastic opportunity for hands-on learning and sparked even more curiosity about the world of firefighting. We can’t wait to see where this interest leads next!
