Each day, school crossing guards help our students safely get to and from school. Help us honor these safety superheroes by using this toolkit to learn how your school and community can recognize your local crossing guards on Crossing Guard Appreciation Day.

What is Crossing Guard Appreciation Day?

The first Friday in February is traditionally celebrated as School Crossing Guard Appreciation Day in Florida. We encourage your school and community to use this day to show your appreciation for the people who help make safe routes to school a reality.

If this date doesn’t work, feel free to celebrate any day in February!

Who can participate?

Crossing Guard Appreciation Day is the perfect opportunity to get the entire community involved! Anyone can participate in thanking local crossing guards, including:

• Schools & PTAs
• Students & Parents
• Community groups/HOAs
• Law enforcement agencies
• City & county governments
• Local businesses

How can I get involved?

You don’t need a huge budget or a lot of hands to do something special for your crossing guard! We’ve got you covered with several ways that you can participate:

• Encourage students to walk/bike to school and thank their crossing guard(s) in person.
• Have students use our templates or make their own “thank you” cards to give to the crossing guard(s) as part of homeroom, social studies, or art.
• Help students create a chant, cheer, poem, or song to celebrate and thank their crossing guard(s). Have students perform their routine on Crossing Guard Appreciation Day.
• Have kids complete our toolkit worksheets. Hang them on a bulletin board and invite your crossing guard in to see them or collect them and distribute them on Crossing Guard Appreciation Day.
• Provide parents with a template “thank you” card and encourage them to draft a note to your local crossing guard(s). Remember to provide their names!
• Recognize crossing guard(s) wherever you can: in your newsletter, on social media, morning announcements, websites, and on outdoor marquees.
• Create a thank you banner with student signatures and hang it at their post.
• Use our template or create your own certificate of appreciation for your crossing guard(s). Present it to them at their station, on the morning announcements, or surprise them at an awards assembly.
• Ask local businesses to donate gift cards or other small gifts that could be given to your crossing guard(s) and provide them with a thank you card or goody bag.
• Work with your local PTA or ask a local business to sponsor a breakfast, coffee hour, or donut social in honor of your crossing guard(s).
• Think of your own special way to celebrate! There’s nothing too big or too small to show someone that you appreciate them.

Resources for Download

• Download Full Toolkit
• Crossing Guard Appreciation Day Toolkit One-Pager
• “My Crossing Guard is the Best” Student Worksheet
• “Thank You for Being Our Crossing Guard” Student Worksheet
• Certificate of Appreciation – PPT Template
• Certificate of Appreciation – PDF Template
• Thank You Card v1 – Blank
• Thank You Card v1 – Text
• Thank You Card v2 – Blank
• Thank You Card v2 – Text
• Just Wanted to “STOP” and Thank You Card – Blank
• Just Wanted to “STOP” and Thank You Card – Text