Safety Town

Elina receives her graduation kit

To people in Norman Safety Town needs no explanation. It is part of summer for 5 year olds. A [free] one-week course, one hour per day, [free] bike helmet, and [free] t-shirt and diploma on the last day and lots of bike riding (with training-wheels for all, mind you). What do they learn? Bike-safety, pedestrian conduct, basic traffic rules and other safety issues related to visiting an ambulance and a firetruck.

There are lots of people at Safety Town and many volunteers. The first day nice, nice Tyler walks around with his hand gently on Elina's shoulder for the entire 20 minutes of bike-riding, in the hot Oklahoma sun while Elina chatters without drawing breath about everything and nothing. She has reached some emotional block against bicycling that was not there last year! A soon as he removes his hand, Elina stops pedaling and cries in anguish: "You have to hold me!" This was repeated with a different volunteer each day. I apologized and thanked him and was assured Tyler had done this with many kids.

Isak viewed Safety Town as a racing track and all thoughts of safety were sacrificed in the interest of speed and style - at least a few times.

Elina helped by Tyler.


Isak, having just crossed a double yellow line at great speed...


Isak, left, waiting at the red light. Good that he knows some of the rules

Safety Town for Anja

Anja got to go to Safety Town this year! Isak and Elina have both attended. See HERE. Anja had a wonderful time. She felt very grown up to have her own activity to go to, and love her helmet and t-shirt.

Inside the school house with several friends from church and school.

 Getting a little push to get going.

 Riding through the streets.

So much fun! 

 Isak and Benjamin supporting their little sister and brother, respectively, at Safety Town.

And Julia, too.

Anja got her bag of goodies.

Happy Safety Town graduates.

Anja and Julia at Safety Town 2013

Anja and Julia did safety town together, which they loved. It is a long-standing tradition in Norman and HERE, HERE and HERE are other pictures from Safety Town.

Here are some from this year:

Backward Summer Re-Cap

swimlessons and pool time

Here is an assemblage of pictures from varying summer activities, chronologically backwards, more or less.



Isak turned 7, Julia is barely 3 weeks here



We went to Dallas for Swedish Midsummer Celebration



Elina graduated from Safety Town



And last day of school and June 4th