Science // Weather & Climate

Storm Safety

Know basic storm safety: during thunder and lightning, go indoors or into a car, stay away from trees and water; understand that storms can be frightening but there are ways to stay safe

Ages
5 to 7
Type
Concept
Builds on
1 topic
Leads to
1 topic

Quick check

If the learner heard thunder while playing outside, would they know to come inside straight away and could they explain why standing under a tree isn't safe during a lightning storm?

Ask this to see whether the topic is secure.

Topic // Mastery

What mastery looks like

What a learner can do once this topic is secure.
  • State at least two safety rules for thunderstorms
  • Explain why going indoors is the safest option during lightning
  • Describe that storms are natural events and there are ways to stay safe

Topic // Map

Where this fits

What to learn first and what this topic opens up, with the reason for each link. Required links come first.
  • RequiredMust come first
  • HelpfulHelps, but not essential

Before this

1 topic
  • Types of WeatherHelpful

    Weather & Climate // Ages 5 to 7

    Storm safety benefits from knowing what storms are

You are here

Storm Safety

Ages 5 to 7 // Concept

Leads to

1 topic
  • Thunder & LightningRequired

    Weather & Climate // Ages 7 to 9

    Thunder/lightning science builds on basic storm safety awareness

Topic // Research-informed

Teaching notes

From the Marble Skill Taxonomy. These notes have not been validated in classrooms, so treat them as a starting point for your own judgement.

The approach

Thunderstorm safety for ages 5–7: children learn a short, correct set of safety rules (go inside a building or a hard-topped car; stay away from tall trees, open ground, and water such as pools, ponds and the sea), each paired with a child-level reason (lightning tends to hit the tallest thing around, and being on open ground or in or near water leaves you exposed; a building or hard-topped car carries lightning around you into the ground), plus calm emotional reassurance that storms are natural and following simple rules helps keep you safe. The core activity is rehearsing the decision 'hear thunder → go inside', complemented by a safe/unsafe place sort to confirm the rules. This is PSHE/personal-safety content; the thunder/lightning science is a later topic.

Common misconceptions

  • 'Shelter under a tree to stay dry/safe' — a dangerous myth; trees are among the worst places in a thunderstorm.
  • 'Thunder can hurt you' — thunder is only the SOUND; the danger is lightning, and being indoors protects you.
  • 'Water is fine to be in/near during a storm' — pools, ponds and the sea are unsafe; get out and away from water.
  • 'If you can't see rain it's safe' — lightning can strike from a storm that's still some distance away; go in when you hear thunder.
  • 'Storms are out to get you / are a punishment' — animistic fear; storms are natural, and simple rules keep you safe.

Useful representations

  • A safe/unsafe place sorter: building, car (safe) vs under a tree, open field, swimming pool (unsafe).
  • A simple 'storm coming → go inside' action sequence/flow.
  • Calm reassurance scene: a child safe indoors watching a storm through the window, 'thunder is just a loud sound'.
  • Rule cards with matching why-icons (tall tree = lightning target; car/building = protected).

Teaching practices

  • Teach a SHORT, memorable rule set (inside a building or car; away from trees, open ground and water) — few rules, clearly correct, rehearsed.
  • Pair each rule with a child-level WHY (lightning tends to hit tall, open or wet things, so we go inside where it's protected) so rules are understood, not just recited.
  • Bust the dangerous 'shelter under a tree' myth explicitly — a tree is one of the LEAST safe places in a storm.
  • Handle FEAR directly and calmly: name that thunder is loud and can feel scary, explain thunder is just the sound (it can't hurt you), and emphasise that knowing what to do helps you feel safe and in control.
  • Rehearse the safe response as a simple decision ('storm coming → go inside') through role-play/scenario, since rehearsal makes recall likelier when it matters.
  • Keep the physics minimal here (why lightning is dangerous) and defer the thunder-lightning science to the 7-9 topic; this topic is about action and reassurance.

Activities to try

  1. 1

    Storm scenario: choose where to go

    Why it works: Staying safe in a storm is a decision you can make and rehearse: go indoors or into a car, and the right action becomes familiar so you feel in control rather than frightened.

    1. Watch or imagine a storm rolling in — dark clouds gather and a rumble of thunder sounds.
    2. Choose where to go: a house, a car, under a big tree, an open field, or beside a swimming pool.
    3. When you choose a safe place (house or car), see yourself safe and cosy indoors, watching the storm from a little way back from the window.
    4. When you choose an unsafe place, read the kind, un-scary prompt explaining why it is risky (e.g. 'a tall tree is one of the riskiest places — let's get inside instead') and try again.
    5. Repeat the 'hear thunder → go inside' decision several times until it feels familiar.
  2. 2

    Safe place / unsafe place sort

    Why it works: A tree is for rain shelter, not storm safety; the safe places are indoors or a car, and open or wet places are dangerous.

    1. Sort places and things into 'safe in a storm' and 'not safe in a storm'.
    2. Safe: inside a building, inside a hard-topped car.
    3. Unsafe: under a tall tree, in an open field, in or beside a swimming pool, pond or the sea.
    4. For each one, say the reason aloud — e.g. 'a tall tree is unsafe because lightning tends to hit tall things'.
  3. 3

    Calm reassurance: thunder is just a sound

    Why it works: Storms can feel scary because they are loud, but thunder is only the sound; following simple rules helps keep you safe, so you can feel in control.

    1. Look at a scene of a child safe indoors, watching a storm from inside.
    2. Hear or read the message that thunder is just a loud sound — it can't hurt you, but hearing it means lightning is near; the thing to stay away from is lightning, and being indoors protects you.
    3. Talk about how storms are natural events, not something out to get you, and that knowing what to do helps you feel safe.
    4. Optionally ask a caring, reassuring character a worry such as 'is thunder going to hurt me?' and talk through what to do.

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