Outdoor Safety Tips to Help Kids ‘Play Smart’

Now that days are getting longer, and our hottest weather is still (we hope) weeks away, there’s more time for children to be outside playing after school and after dinner, too. Make certain your kids have safe equipment, and know a few basic rules about how to play smart and stay safe.

Now is a good time to be sure all the play and sports equipment is in good shape, and to make certain your children are equipped and aware for safe outdoor play.

Bicycle Safety

Inspect bicycles, scooters and other riding toys to make sure all the nuts and bolts are tight. Make sure moving parts are lubricated and bicycle chains have guards to prevent clothing from being caught in them and causing injury. Make sure bicycle helmets still fit correctly as your child grows. An ill-fitting helmet will not provide adequate protection.

Remind children to wear bike helmets whenever they ride, no matter how short a ride they're taking. That's a no-brainer and non-negotiable.

Elbow and knee pads should be worn at all times by scooter riders. Children should only ride during daylight hours or in areas with proper lighting.

Whenever riding at dusk or later, children should wear light-colored clothing to make themselves more visible to drivers. Make sure children know the importance of keeping a watchful eye out for vehicles while they're riding.

Bike riding should be specifically prohibited unless the bike has been equipped with reflectors, headlamps, and other night-riding safety features.

Tips to Prevent Getting Lost

If your children typically ride or play in areas that may take them farther away from home and neighborhood, teach them that their best bet if they're lost is to stay in one place and wait to be found.

Also, equip your children with a small penlight that can be attached to a key chain or clipped to the inside of a jacket or coat. They need to know that it is for emergency purposes so that they don't use it as a toy and run the batteries out.

It's also a good idea to attach a whistle to the zipper of their jacket or coat. In the summer, they may even be able to string it onto their shoelaces. The whistle is a good signaling device if a child is lost or hurt.

Make Sure Drivers Can See Your Kids

As the days get longer, more and more people are on the roads in the evening. At the same time, more and more kids are out and about, which translates to an increase in traffic accidents involving kids and cars. The time that signals the most risk is just before and after sunset. Our long dusks create hours of reduced visibility and limits a driver's depth perception due to low light levels.

Make sure your child’s evening play clothes (especially jackets, coats, and wind breakers) have reflective cloth strips sewn or attached with Velcro. So, too, should bikes, helmets, and backpacks.

Evening strolls should include a flashlight -- especially if all or most of the walking is along the side of roads and streets without sidewalks.

If your children and others in the neighborhood typically play on the street or lightly travelled roads, make sure they know a few common sense tips.

• Make certain kids stop all play when a vehicle is spotted; move to the side of the road and resume play only after the vehicle has passed.
• Use inexpensive traffic cones marked "Play Area Ahead" to advise drivers that kids may be in the road ahead. Cones should be placed on the centerline so as not to block traffic a few hundred feet away from the play area. Remove cones when kids are finished playing or bike riding.

A little reinforcement now can remind kids they are not invincible and that safety is an important part of having fun.

Parents should always be aware of their kids' activities and monitor them whenever possible. But there are some activities that are particularly important to supervise:

• Children under the age of eight who ride bicycles, scooters or other riding toys should be supervised at all times.
• Children should never swim without adult supervision or a lifeguard present.
• Backyard trampolines should be supervised to make sure there's only one child bouncing at a time.

Playing outside is an important part of making certain that children have time for “unstructured” play, and that they learn the fun of physical activity. Let your kids know the rules aren’t designed to take away fun. 

Tell them to play hard, play fast – and play smart.

American College of Emergency Physicians – www.acep.org