Seven Summer Safety Tips for Kids
Summer is here! School’s out, days are longer, and the weather is warm.
While a lot of fun is sure to happen, accidents happen too, and kids are extra active during the summer. According to Safe Kids Worldwide, a leading children’s safety organization, the summer season represents millions of emergency room visits by children 14 and younger due to unintentional injuries.
Read our top tips to keep your child safe this summer.
Stay hydrated. If your kids play outside on a hot day, have them take frequent water and snack breaks. Children often ignore signals of heat exhaustion, so you may need to require breaks. Buy the kids fun, reusable water bottles to keep them motivated to drink up!
Designate a water watcher. Drownings can happen in an instant. If you need to walk away even for a moment, assign an adult to actively watch your child when they are near a body of water.
Always check water conditions. Before rafting or boating, always check the forecast before going out on the water. Have all children, even those who can swim, wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket, even if the water is calm.
Sunscreen! Sun is harshest from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Children under one year old should avoid direct sunlight during this time. Make sure to constantly reapply during these hours. Set a good example and apply it on yourself as well.
Never leave a child alone in a car. In just 10 minutes, the inside of a vehicle can become so hot that it can be deadly. Even if you roll the windows down, it’s never a good idea.
Don’t play with fireworks. They’re fun to look at, but fireworks can be extremely harmful if they aren’t handled by an adult. Sparklers get hot enough to melt metal and should never be handled by a child under three years of age. Fireworks are the cause of life-threatening injuries and burns every year.
Fire safety. Don’t leave children unattended near grills, campfires, or bonfires. Keep a bucket of water or fire extinguisher near the area when there is a fire burning. If your child is burned, run cool water on it for five minutes; never put ice on a burn. If it begins to blister or looks leathery, take your child to the emergency room.
We hope you and the family have a wonderful summer, making memories and staying safe!
