Summer Safety Tips For Kids

After a winter spent indoors, most children can't wait to run off all their pent up energy – and most need not travel any farther than the backyard. Play sets, jungle gyms and pools offer up hours of summertime fun, but can turn potentially dangerous if you do not know what to look for. This summer, Underwriters Laboratories (UL), a leading product safety testing organization, provides useful tips to help keep you and your children safe around play sets and the pool.

To keep your family safe while having fun this summer, UL is offering the following tips:

• At any water spot, the 10/20 rule states an observant parent should scan the pool every 10 seconds, and never be more than 20 seconds away from the area. Supervision, along with a basic knowledge of CPR, stand among the staples of pool safety.

• At any playground, watch for enclosed spaces, protruding bolts or tree stumps, and comb through the sand box before your child digs in to help avoid risks presented by glass shards, animal droppings, or other hazards.

• Before installing a play set, find a suitable place for the set free of any dangerous obstacles like cable wires or tree branches and follow the building instructions closely. Laying safety materials (such as mulch or rubber tiles) can help make the entire area more secure.

• To avoid constant worry at the pool this summer, construct a tall fence, keep the area around the pool clear of tree limbs and other debris, and clearly mark all drains and filters. Store rescue devices nearby, drain wading pools after use, and always remove toys from the pool so children don't try to play with them without supervision.

Fun For Kids: UL and Disney even produced a cute video featuring Timon and Puumba from the Lion King teaching kids how to stay safe while swimming during the summer, and all year long. Click here to show you kids now

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Underwriters Laboratories. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Image: Francesco Marino / FreeDigitalPhotos.net