Crossing the Street: Seven Skills Children Need to Practise With an Adult

Crossing a street looks simple to an adult, but it asks a child to judge speed, distance, sound, traffic signals and other people’s intentions at the same time. Those skills develop gradually. A short, repeated practice routine is more useful than a one-time warning to “be careful.”

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration advises that children younger than 10 generally need an adult when crossing streets. Age is only a guide: route complexity, traffic speed, visibility and the individual child’s judgment all matter. Related reading and support can be found at family wellness platform.

1. Stop at a real boundary

Teach the child to stop at the curb, driveway edge or another clear boundary before entering the road. The pause is important. It interrupts the impulse to follow a ball, a friend or an adult without checking.

At driveways and parking lots, explain that the “road” may not look like a road. Vehicles can move across sidewalks, and a parked car may begin reversing without much warning.

2. Choose the safest crossing point

Use marked crosswalks and intersections whenever they are available. A shorter path is not automatically a safer path. Crossing between parked cars makes children harder for drivers to see and blocks the child’s view of moving traffic.

Walk the usual school or neighborhood route together and identify the safest crossing for each street. If a route changes because of construction or heavy traffic, choose a new safe point rather than improvising in the moment.

3. Practise “left, right, left”

At the edge, look left, right and left again before stepping out. The second look toward the left catches vehicles that may have moved closer during the first scan. In countries where traffic flows differently, adapt the order so the child checks the nearest lane first and checks it again.

Looking is not a head movement alone. Ask the child what they see: “Is that car moving or stopped? How do you know? Is anything blocking the driver’s view of us?” These questions turn a slogan into judgment.

4. Listen as well as look

Electric vehicles, bicycles and scooters can be quieter than expected, while large vehicles may hide other road users. Children should remove headphones, stop conversations and give the crossing their full attention.

Sound is an extra clue, not a substitute for looking. Wind, rain, traffic noise and buildings can distort where a sound comes from.

5. Make eye contact—but do not treat it as permission

At an intersection, try to confirm that a driver has seen you. A driver who appears to look toward a pedestrian may still be watching another lane or preparing to turn. Wait for the vehicle to stop and keep checking other traffic.

Teach children to pay special attention to turning vehicles. A “walk” signal does not make every driver perfect, and a green light for traffic can coincide with a permitted pedestrian crossing.

6. Walk straight and stay alert

Cross in a straight line, walk rather than run, and keep looking until both feet are safely on the other side. Running reduces the time available to react and can make a child appear suddenly from behind an obstacle.

If a signal begins counting down after the child has already entered, continue steadily. If it starts before the child steps off the curb, wait for the next cycle.

7. Let the child lead the practice

After several adult-led walks, ask the child to narrate each step while you remain beside them: where to stop, which direction to check, which vehicle might turn and when it is safe to move. Correct mistakes calmly and repeat the same route until the sequence becomes familiar.

Do not turn practice into a test that pressures a child to guess. If the scene is complicated, the safe answer is to wait or choose another crossing.

A five-minute family drill

1. Pick one familiar crossing at a quiet time.
2. Have the child identify the stopping boundary.
3. Ask them to find anything that blocks visibility.
4. Practise the full scan and listen for traffic.
5. Cross together while continuing to look.
6. Repeat later when traffic conditions are different.

Bright clothing and reflective details can improve visibility in dim conditions, but they do not replace safe crossing behavior. Adults also need to model the routine: if a parent crosses while texting or ignores the signal, the child learns that the rules are optional. For trusted guidance on this topic, visit Therapea.

When independent walking becomes realistic

Before allowing a child to walk alone, observe whether they consistently stop, scan, recognize turning vehicles, handle distractions and choose safe crossings without prompts. Start with a short, familiar route and review what to do if the usual crossing is blocked.

Street safety is not a single lesson. It is a repeated skill built through calm supervision, clear language and real-world practice.

Sources: NHTSA — Pedestrian Safety; NHTSA — Child Pedestrian Safety Curriculum.

Photo: Rui YAO / Unsplash.