Crossing the Street
Episode # 153. Crossroads
In a flat, large, square-shaped box, the children give the Storypeople a crossroads. Auntie, Mr. Man, Grandmamma, and Grandpappa all want to pass through the intersection, but they keep running into each other. The children provide a pair of white gloves. Mrs. Lady comes along, puts on the gloves, and uses her hands to direct traffic, but sometimes her hands are hard to see. So the children provide Mrs. Lady with some huge gloves. Then all goes smoothly.

Directions
Teach your child how to safely cross a busy intersection. Before crossing the street together, spend some time just standing at the corner looking at all the things that happen. Point out to your child things like how the cars and pedestrians take turns, how they stop when the light is red and go when the light is green, how to look for turning vehicles, and how to walk inside the crosswalk lines. Ask your child to share what they notice.

Cross once, holding your child's hand and pointing out the different rules you are following as you go (e.g., "Let's look both ways. Is it clear? Okay, we can walk inside the crosswalk now."). After practicing that a few times, cross and ask your child to narrate the experience.

When you get home, ask your child to draw and intersection on a piece of construction paper. Very young children might need help creating an overhead view. Use toy cars to help your child review and practice what she has learned and to help her imagine what might happen to people who don't follow the rules.

Talk About It
While viewing the Crossroads episode, you might start a conversation by asking your child: "What could they all do to get through the intersection without running one another?"

As you talk about the things on screen, you can help expand your child's vocabulary by alternating the words you use with their synonyms. In the Crossroads episode you might describe the gift for the Storypeople as a crossroads or an intersection.