Researchers at Frontiers in Education examined how young children aged 5–6 learn earthquake safety through movement-based activities—essentially, turning critical safety skills into active play circuits. The study involved 44 kindergarten children in Indonesia and used a program called ESCAPE, which teaches responses like dropping, covering their head, and tucking under a table.
This research offers relevant insights for Singapore parents and nurseries, where seismic activity remains a real concern and young children spend significant time in care settings.
Movement-based learning nearly doubled children's safety skills
Children who participated in the ESCAPE program improved dramatically, going from correctly completing a median of 4 out of 8 safety tasks to completing all 8 by the end of the program. Teachers observed that children became increasingly familiar with the activity sequence and stayed engaged throughout. The program used stations where children physically practised safety responses through hands-on activities rather than listening to instructions.
Children brought the learning home and practiced with parents
A key finding was that several parents reported their children were re-enacting these earthquake safety activities at home. This suggests the learning stuck and extended beyond the classroom. When children were excited enough about their nursery activities to practise them with parents, it created a natural conversation loop where family involvement reinforced the skills further.
Active learning works better than passive instruction for young children
This study highlights a broader principle: young children aged 5–6 internalise safety responses more effectively when these are embedded in playful, active learning rather than passive listening. Many Singapore nurseries already run safety drills, but this research suggests turning safety practice into engaging circuits—where children physically move and respond—makes the learning more memorable and age-appropriate. The research is limited to one pilot study with 44 children in Indonesia, so findings should be viewed as promising but not yet definitive across different settings or age groups.
Three ways to build on this at home and in your nursery
- Ask your nursery what active safety activities they use and request movement-based approaches over passive drills alone.
- Play along when your child re-enacts safety routines at home—treat it as a game and reinforce the correct responses.
- Create a simple obstacle course or play station at home where your child physically practises drop-cover-tuck movements in a fun, stress-free way.