Take ten toddlers, with an average age of three, and ask them if they will open the door if somebody knocks on it. Not surprisingly, the answer is yes. This is one of the many issues that Darin the Magician addressed in his ‘Mr ADT Safety Show’.
On 21 July, Darin McDowall put on his annual show at The Lollipop Tree Educational Playgroup where he educated the pupils on a number of safety issues. It was interesting that what the pupils at the school did and didn’t know appeared to be unanimous.
On the topic of fire safety the pupils all understood that they should never play with matches, lighters or anything that could cause fire. They also understood that touching the stove, the kettle or the iron could result in serious, painful burns. By the same token, if asked if they should ever touch or insert fingers into a plug point, the answer was an emphatic ‘no’.
Some of the slightly grey areas for the pupils included, ‘Stranger Danger’, stealing, gun safety, strange dogs and car safety. The word ‘stranger’ made them draw a blank, and that not all bad people look like bad people was cause for confusion. However, with the use of ‘Pongo’ the puppet, props, balloon objects and laminated pictures, McDowall entertained and educated the children. As they were quite young, he knew he needed to keep it simple for them. The children laughed and responded and couldn’t take their eyes off him for the full 45 minutes of the show.
McDowall says he performs approximately eight shows per month and any school that wants to book him for the ‘Mr ADT Safety Show’ can do so. There is no charge to schools as it is sponsored by ADT.
Details: Darin McDowall darin@darinthemagician.com, 082 978 4260.
