2023 Safety Town Camps in Columbus

Have you heard about Safety Town Camps for kids? Safety Town camps are typically available for kids ages 5-7 to teach them how to be safe in their community.

My kids attended New Albany Safety Town when they were young, and had a blast! As a first camp experience, and they learned so much. There are so many other options, and we’ve heard great things about many of them.

What is Safety Town or Safety City?

Safety Town uses hands-on activities – often taught in a small-scale city with streets, homes and sidewalks – to teach children about many different aspects of safety and injury prevention.

Topics include Bicycle safety, Electrical safety, Animal safety, Fire prevention and safety, playground, school bus and traffic safety, Water safety, Poison education, Weather safety, Pedestrian safety. Most of the camps host a graduation ceremony at the end of camp for the families to attend.

There are several communities around Columbus offering Safety Town. You don’t have to attend the camp within your own community, so you can choose one that works with your schedule if they are accepting non-residents.

Safety Town in Columbus

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New Albany Safety Town and Graduate Camp

New Albany offers a Safety Town for kids who are 5 years of age on or before August 1st of that year and entering kindergarten or first grade in the Fall. This two week camp is for children who are attending a safety town camp for the first time. 

New Albany also offers a Graduate Camp for children entering 1st or 2nd grade in the fall they are attending camp and who have already graduated from Safety Town. This 1-week, 4 day camp provides more in-depth education on various safety topics. Following are the main topics covered and a general outline of what to expect each day:

Dates:
June 12-23, 2023
June 26 – July 7, 2023
AM Session I 8:30am – 11:30am 
PM Session II 12:30pm – 3:30pm
July 10-13: Graduate Camp for those who have already completed Safety Town.
AM Session Only 

Location: New Albany-Plain Local Early Learning Center at 5101 Swickard Woods Boulevard New Albany OH 43054.
Registration: If you register before your eligible registration period, your registration will be cancelled.
If you do not live in the New Albany School district you will not see any camps available to register until your designated registration period. School district residents are given priority due to limited capacity. Registration opens at 9 am on the dates below.
March 4 All NAPLS district families
March 18 – April 1 All Non-NAPLS district families
Fee: $95 for residents, $110 for non-residents. Includes all classroom materials, a bike helmet, bike light, t-shirt and use of safety town’s bikes. The cost also includes field trips to the New Albany Police Station and the Plain Township Fire Station.

Volunteer opportunities: Each year middle (grade 6 and up) and high school students can volunteer at camp. There are opportunities to volunteer in the classroom and at Adventureland (mock city). Returning volunteers can apply in January, and new students can apply to volunteer at camp by applying in February. To apply please contact the camp director at safetytown@newalbanypolice.org

Westerville Safety City

Westerville Safety City is a program designed to teach students entering kindergarten in the fall about a variety of safety issues.

Each student is taught basic rules of traffic and pedestrian safety, fire prevention, school bus safety, poison prevention, animal safety, gun safety, water safety, and stranger awareness. 

Students that will be attending Kindergarten and First Grade in the fall of this year are eligible. 

Dates: June 5-16, 2023
Location: Robert Frost Elementary School
Registration: Online registration begins April 23
Fee: Two week camp fee is $85 for Westerville Residents, $95 for non-residents. Fee includes a t-shirt. Registration will close when full or when classes begin.  

Delaware County Safety Town

Safety Town is a program of the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office and is for children going into kindergarten or first grade who reside in Delaware County. Safety curriculum include: strangers, drugs, bicycle, animals, car seat, water, etc.

For more information, contact kimthurn@co.delaware.oh.us

Dates and locations: 
Buckeye Valley Middle School: June 5-9, 2023 (morning or afternoon)
Big Walnut Intermediate: June 12-16, 2023 (morning or afternoon)
Olentangy Shale Meadows Elementary: July 10-14 or July 17-21, 2023 (morning or afternoon)

Registration: April 3, 2023 at 8:30 am.
Fee: $25 participation fee (limited amount of scholarships are available). 

Worthington Safety City

Sponsored by the Worthington Parks and Recreation Department, this program is designed to teach basics of safety to kindergarten age children. This includes crossing streets, walking to school, riding bikes and traveling in school buses.

Experiencing real life traffic situations, students ride big wheels through a miniature town, and are visited by speakers such as a fireman, police officers, poison control spokesperson, and others. For ages 4-6 years.

2023 Dates:
June 19-23 from 9-11 am or 12-3 pm 
June 26-30 from 9-11 am or 12-3 pm 
Location: Tentatively scheduled at Wilson Hill Elementary School.
Registration: In person and online registration opens: March 6
Fee: $77.00 (Resident), $100.00 (Non-resident)

Grove City Safety Town

Safety Town is a program of the Jackson Township Professional Firefighters Local #2672 and is presented in cooperation with the Jackson Township Fire Department and the Grove City Police Department

Safety Town teaches children who are entering kindergarten basic safety concepts while at the same time, allowing them a “preview” of what it will be like to be in school. E-mail any questions to gcsafetytown@gmail.com.

The camp is for kids living in Grove City, Jackson Township or Urbancrest, who are entering kindergarten in fall of 2023

Dates: June 8-16, 2023 (morning or afternoon)
Location: tba
Registration: Registration open April 1
Fee: No cost thanks to financial help of the Jackson Township Professional Firefighters Union, Jackson Township and the City of Grove City

Upper Arlington Safety Town

Upper Arlington Safety Town is a week-long summer program that teaches children ages 5-8 going into Kindergarten and First Grade all aspects of child safety. Children learn how to make wise decisions in potentially dangerous situations, as well as how to handle emergencies in their young lives.

Students learn about pedestrian safety through the use of our miniature village, complete with streets, sidewalks, buildings, stop signs, and a working traffic signal.

2023 Dates: Safety Town in Upper Arlington is a one week session in June and July. Half day sessions are from 9 am-Noon OR 1-4 pm, Monday through Friday
June 12-June 16: morning and afternoon sessions
June 26-June 30: morning and afternoon sessions
July 10-14: morning and afternoon sessions
July 17-21: morning and afternoon sessions

Location: Greensview Elementary School
Registration: Opens March 22 at 6 am for UA residents and March 24 at 6 am for non-residents.
Register online through the Parks & Recreation Department. Click on Safety Town under the drop down search. If sessions fill up before you can register, there is a waitlist that you can register on in case of cancellations. 
Fee: $100
Contact: If you have questions about the program, contact Police Community Relations, at 614-583-5197

Safety Town by Reynoldsburg Parks and Recreation Department

Safety Town is for children entering Kindergarten or 1st Grade for the 2023-2024 school year. Space is limited to the first 60 registered. Register online or in person at the Reynoldsburg City Hall Building, 7232 East Main St Monday – Friday, 8a to 5p. 

Dates: Tuesday – Thursday, July 11-13, 2023 from 9 am – 11:30 am.
Location: Blacklick Woods Metro Park, 6975 E. Livingston Ave
Registration: Open now and limited to 60 students. You have to create an account or login, and click on “Register Now” on your account to locate the program.
Fee: $10 Resident/ $17 Non-Resident

Dublin Safety City

Safety City is an early childhood education program for kids ages 5 and 6 who are getting ready to begin school. The Dublin Division of Police, Washington Township Fire Dept, and other guests visit to discuss safety awareness and preventative procedures. 

Dates: tba 2023 from 9-11 am, or 12-2 pm
Location: Dublin Community Recreation Center
Registration: Opens on March tba
Fee: $60 city resident, $70 school district resident/non-resident

Hilliard Safety Town

Safety Town is a one-week course that focuses on teaching children safe practices both at school and at home. The curriculum includes bicycle safety, pedestrian safety, school bus safety, fire safety, seat belt safety, gun safety, 9-1-1, and stranger danger utilizing a child-sized town for hands-on experience, and guest speakers. Safety Town is open to children entering kindergarten in the fall.

Dates: June 12-16, 2023
Location: Alton Darby Elementary
Registration dates: Opens March 27 at 9 am
Fee: $50 includes a bike helmet

Powell Safety Camp

Safety Camp is a 3 day camp for 5-8 year olds that runs for 2 hours. Each day campers will rotate through safety stations and learn from local safety experts from the Powell Police Department, Liberty Township Fire Department, Delaware General Health District, and several others. Campers are placed in small groups to rotate through stations.

Dates: July 5-7, 2023 (three sessions)
Location: Village Green Municipal Building
Registration: Registration begins for residents on April 10
Fee: $68 residents, $78 non-resident

Gahanna Safety Town

Since 1983, The City of Gahanna,  Mifflin Township and the Gahanna Jefferson Schools have operated a one week “Safety Town” program for children entering Kindergarten. Each child is taught the basic rules of pedestrian safety, traffic rules, fire safety & prevention, stranger & personnel safety, school bus safety & conduct, gun, water, animal and poison safety. The children will take a school bus ride and learn school bus basics. Open to all children going into kindergarten.

Dates: tba for 2023; look for updates on the website or Facebook
Location: Lincoln Elementary School 515 Havens Corners Road in Gahanna
Registration: tba
Fee: $40.00/child. Registration fee includes: A Safety Town T-Shirt & A Bike Helmet both given out at Safety Town

Volunteers need to be at least entering sixth grade. Helpers may assist students in cutting, coloring, and gluing. They may also assist in restroom breaks, supervision of students in all areas of the school, modeling safety lessons, reading books, and singing songs. Click here to apply.

Prairie Township Safety Town

Safety Town is a one-week summer preschool program that teaches children all aspects of safety. Children learn how to make wise decisions in potentially dangerous situations, as well as how to handle emergencies in their young lives. Children entering Kindergarten or first grade are eligible to attend Safety Town, and they must be five years of age prior to September 30th in order to qualify for registration.

This program coordinated by Franklin County Sheriff’s Deputies, Prairie Township Fire Department and other agencies. Safety Town takes place at the Community Center.

Dates: tba for 2023
Location: Prairie Township Community Center, 5955 West Broad St, Galloway, Ohio 43119
Registration: Announced in March
Fee: tba

Do you know of any other Safety Town programs held around Columbus? Let us know if the comments or email info@columbusonthecheap.com.