My beach playground

Lesson 1 – 25 minutes

Understand basic safety practices: how to signal for help, importance of having an adult present
when in the water and staying with the group at all times.
Know their way around their surf club and beach Identify the junior activities boundaries.
Understand the meaning of slip, slop, slap, seek.

Ensure the surf club is available for a tour. Check the water to identify the presence of any holes or gutters for reference during the session.
Have an adult parent/helper ready to walk through the hole/gutter during the demonstration below.
Sunscreen, wide brimmed hat, long sleeved shirt.
Prepare flash cards with each of the sunsmart guidelines (Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek) and a picture to match

Sit the group in a circle in a quiet, protected part of the beach.
Sit the participants in a group, welcome them to the surf club.
Discuss the importance of staying with the group at all times. Do not wander off alone.
Identify the group’s coloured caps/rash tops.
Discuss the need to always have an adult present whenever you go into the water and to stay in shallow water.

Take the participants on a tour of the surf club – explain each area you visit. Make sure the tour visits the following places:
- Bathroom/Changing Rooms (remind participants that they should always ask their age manager to go the bathroom and then go with a friend).
- First Aid Room (this is where people are looked after when they are injured).
- Gear Shed (where all the rescue equipment is stored, show the participants a few items) IRB Shed (an IRB is usually set up ready for rescues).* *

Take the participants for a walk along the beach.
As you walk along the beach point out important features on your beach (i.e. rock features, patrol towers, pools etc) If a patrol is operating then discuss the patrol flags and what the lifesavers are doing.
Finish the beach tour by setting the boundaries for junior activities around the surf club and on the beach.

Discuss holes and gutters in the shallows.
If there is a hole or gutter in shallow water on the beach take the group to the water’s edge and have an adult parent/ helper walk through the hole/gutter.

Discuss how to signal for help if in the water (one hand held high above your head, with hand moving slowly side to side). Stand the group up and practice this signal.
Discuss the other signals that are important of the beach (ie. whistle blown by age manager or patrol member, siren sounded from the clubrooms).
Discuss when you may need help (i.e. unsure where to go, if you are hurt, if you feel afraid).
Discuss where you go to get help (i.e. age managers, lifesaver, orange cap water safety, patrol shelter, clubhouse).

Sit the participants in a group (if outside make sure you are under shade).
Ask the following questions:
- What should we all do before going out into the sun? (put on sunscreen, wear a shirt, put on a hat etc).
- How do we remember what to do before going out into the sun (they may have been introduced to sunsmart principles at school or during Surf Aware 1).

‘SLIP, SLOP and SLAP’ (show the correct flash card to start each topic).
- SLIP – Slip on a shirt, make it a long sleeved shirt, or rash shirt if going into the water.
- SLOP – Slop on some sunscreen, make sure you put it all over your body 15 minutes before you go into the sun, use SPF30+ and waterproof.
- SLAP – Slap on a hat, make it a wide brimmed hat for maximum coverage.
Ask the participants if they know what ‘SEEK’ might mean when we think about being sunsmart (staying under shade like a tree/umbrella/beach tent etc, stay indoors).
Sum up the four sunsmart messages by asking the participants to recall them out loud.

Split the participants into small groups.
Ask them to come up with a short song that reminds us to be sunsmart.
Suggest they might like to use the words Slip, Slop, Slap and Seek.
Give the groups 10 minutes to produce their song.
Give each group an opportunity to present their song in front of the rest of the participants