Swimming and playing in water can be fun for your child and good exercise. But you should take certain precautions to prevent your child from drowning.

• Never let your child swim in any body of water without an adult watching.
• Be sure the adult watching your child knows how to swim, get emergency help and perform CPR.
• Keep a life preserver and shepherd's hook in the pool area to help pull a child to the edge of the pool when necessary.
• Teach your child safety rules and make sure they are obeyed.
  — Never swim alone.
  — Never dive into water except when permitted by an adult who knows the depth of the water and who has checked for underwater objects.
  — Always use a life jacket when on a boat, fishing or playing in a river or stream.
• Don't let young children and children who cannot swim use inflatable toys or mattresses in water that is above the waist.
• Watch children closely when they are playing near standing water, wells, open post holes or irrigation or drainage ditches.
• Teach your child to swim once he or she is ready (usually around five years old).

Most kids rack up between 50% and 80% of their lifetime sun exposure before age 18, so it's important that parents teach their children how to enjoy fun in the sun safely. With the right precautions, you can greatly reduce your child's chance of developing skin cancer.

• Avoid the Strongest Rays of the Day — Avoid being in the sun for prolonged times when it's highest overhead and therefore the strongest (between 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.)
  — If kids are in the sun between these hours, be sure to apply protective sunscreen — even if they're just playing in the backyard. Most sun damage occurs as a result of incidental exposure during day-to-day activities, not at the beach.
  — Even on cloudy, cool, or overcast days, UV rays travel through the clouds and reflect off sand, water and concrete. This can cause unexpected sunburn and skin damage.
  — Often, kids are unaware that they're developing sunburn on cooler days, because the temperature keeps skin feeling cool on the surface.
• Cover Up — Ensure that clothes can cover and protect your child from unnecessary sun exposure.
  — Children under 6 months old can’t use protective sunscreen, so dress them in clothes that cover the body and a protective hat with a wide brim.
  — Umbrellas aren’t just good for the rain, they also can help provide shade over your child.
• Use Protective Eyewear for Kids — The best way to protect eyes is to wear sunglasses. Purchase sunglasses with labels ensuring that they provide 100% UV protection.
  — Not all kids enjoy wearing sunglasses, so let kids select a style they like that are kid-friendly or cartoon characters.
• Double-Check Medications — Some medications increase the skin's sensitivity to UV rays. As a result, kids can get severely sunburned in just minutes when taking certain medications.
  — Ask your doctor or pharmacist if any prescription and over-the-counter medications your child is taking can increase sun sensitivity.

Proper Sunscreen Application
For kids age 6 months and older, select an SPF of 15 or higher to prevent sunburn. Choose a sunscreen that states on the label that it protects against both UVA and UVB rays (referred to as "broad-spectrum" sunscreen). To avoid possible skin allergy, avoid sunscreens with PABA, and if your child has sensitive skin, look for a product with the active ingredient titanium dioxide (a chemical-free block).
For sunscreen to do its job, it must be applied correctly:

• Apply sunscreen whenever your child will be in the sun.
• Apply sunscreen about 30 minutes before kids go outside so that a good layer of protection can form. Don't forget about lips, hands, ears, feet, shoulders and behind the neck. Lift up bathing suit straps and apply sunscreen underneath them (in case the straps shift as a child moves).
• Don't try to stretch out a bottle of sunscreen; apply it generously.
• Reapply sunscreen often, approximately every 2 to 3 hours, as recommended by the American Academy of Dermatology. Reapply after a child is sweating or swimming.
• Apply a waterproof sunscreen if kids will be around water or swimming. Water reflects and intensifies the sun's rays, so kids need protection that lasts. Water proof sunscreens may last up to 80 minutes in the water, and some are also sweat- and rub-proof. Be sure to reapply sunscreen when kids come out of the water, even when the sunscreen is water proof.

According to Safe Kids Worldwide, a child's body heats up three to five times faster than adults! It only takes a few short minutes before a kid can become dangerously overheated.

• Every year, more than 30 children die because they are left alone in a car. In just 10 minutes, a car's temperature can increase by 19 degrees and it continues to rise as time goes on. There is no evidence that cracking the windows helps keep a car cool. In fact, sunshine coming through car windows makes the car work like an oven. If it is 101 degrees outside, the inside of the car can heat up to 140 degrees.
• Leaving a child of any age alone in a car – even for one minute – is unsafe. Safe Kids has recorded deaths of children all the way up to age 13 who were overcome by heat in a car. Also, children left alone in a car are vulnerable to car jacking, strangers who may be up to no good. If unrestrained, they can become entangled in seat belts and trapped in power windows. Some children have been able to set cars in motion by releasing brakes and putting the car in gear.

Safety Tips

• Never leave your child alone in a car, even for one minute. It seems like an innocent act to leave a child in a back seat while you make a quick run into a store to pick up a few things; however, this is dangerous because it only takes a few minutes to put your child at risk.
• Call 911 if you see children unattended in a car. First responders would rather have those calls so they can determine if the child is at risk than have the emergency call later when a child is in deep trouble.
• Keep car doors and trunks locked so children cannot play in them. Keep keys and remote entry keys out of children's reach. Kids may be able to use the remote to unlock a car from inside a house, leaving an unlocked car for others to enter.
• Make it a habit to check the back seat when you exit and remember to never leave your child alone in a car.

Sometimes kids lose abnormally large amounts of water and salts, when going through long periods of exercise with excessive sweating.

It's important that kids drink often on hot, dry, and windy days. Those who participate in sports or strenuous activities should also drink some extra fluid before the activity begins. They should also drink at regular intervals (every 20 minutes) during the course of the activity and after it ends. Ideally, sports practices and competitions should be scheduled for the early morning or late afternoon to avoid the hottest part of the day.

Thirst is not a good early indicator of dehydration. By the time a child feels thirsty, he or she may already be dehydrated. And thirst can be quenched before the necessary body fluids have been replaced. That's why kids should start drinking before thirst develops and consume additional fluids even after thirst is quenched.

Recognizing Dehydration
If your child has is sweating a lot on a hot day or during intense physical activity, you should watch for signs of dehydration, which can include:

• dry or sticky mouth
• few or no tears when crying
• eyes that look sunken into the head
• soft spot (fontanelle) on top of baby's head that looks sunken
• lack of urine or wet diapers for 6 to 8 hours in an infant (or only a very small amount of dark yellow urine)
• lack of urine for 12 hours in an older child (or only a very small amount of dark yellow urine)
• dry, cool skin
• lethargy or irritability
• fatigue or dizziness in an older child

Participation in any sport can teach kids important fundamentals, such as sportsmanship and discipline. However, kids can be particularly susceptible to sports injuries, especially those younger than 8 years old. Because they are still growing and developing they are less coordinated and have slower reaction times than adults. As kids grow bigger and stronger, the potential for injury increases, largely because of the amount of force involved. Also kids are less likely to identify and assess risks of certain activities.

Safety Tips

• Use Proper Equipment - It's important for kids to use proper equipment and safety gear that is the correct size and fits well, such as protective eyewear.
  — Protective equipment should be approved by the organizations that govern each of the sports.
  — All equipment should be properly maintained to ensure its effectiveness.
• Maintenance and Appropriateness of Playing Surfaces - Check that playing fields are not full of holes and ruts that might cause kids to fall or trip. If possible, chose surfaces that are more forgiving when your child falls, avoid concrete if possible.
• Adequate Adult Supervision and Commitment to Safety - Any team sport or activity that kids participate in should be supervised by qualified adults. Select leagues and teams that have the same commitment to safety and injury prevention that you do.
• Proper Preparation - Make sure that your child knows how to play the sport before going out on the field. Your child should be adequately prepared with warm-ups and training sessions before practices as well as before games. This will help ensure that your child has fun and reduce the chances of an injury. In addition, your child should drink plenty of fluids and be allowed to rest during practices and games.

Playgrounds and outdoor play equipment provide fun, fresh air and exercise. Each year, more than 200,000 kids are treated in hospital ERs for playground-related injuries.

• Adult Supervision — Adult supervision can help prevent injuries by making sure kids properly use playground equipment and don't engage in unsafe behavior around it. They can also ensure that the equipment is appropriate to a child's age and maturity level.
• Design & Spacing — Younger children should not play on equipment designed for older kids because the equipment sizes and proportions won't be right for small kids, and this can lead to injury. Likewise, older kids shouldn't play on equipment designed for younger ones. Smaller equipment and spaces can cause problems for bigger kids.
  — Playground equipment should be designed for three different age groups: infants and toddlers under 2, 2- to 5-year-olds (preschoolers), and 5- to 12-year-olds (school-age kids).
• Maintenance & Inspection — Whether your kids play on a home or public playground, it's important for you to take a general look at the equipment to make sure that it is clean and well maintained.

Teach Your Child Playground “Ground Rules”
Here are some general rules to teach your kids:

• Never push or roughhouse while on jungle gyms, slides, seesaws, swings and other equipment.
• Use equipment properly — slide feet first, don't climb outside guardrails, no standing on swings, etc.
• If you jump off equipment, always check to make sure no other kids are in the way. When you jump, land on both feet with knees slightly bent.
• Leave bikes, backpacks, and bags away from the equipment and the area where you're playing so that no one trips over them.
• Playground equipment should never be used if it is wet because moisture causes the surface to be slippery.
• During the summertime, playground equipment can become uncomfortably or even dangerously hot, especially metal slides. So use good judgment — if the equipment feels hot to the touch, it's probably not safe or fun to play on.
• Don't wear clothes with drawstrings or other strings at the playground. Drawstrings, purses, and necklaces can get caught on equipment and accidentally strangle a child.

Let’s face it, bikes and skateboards are main method of transportation for many kids throughout the summer. Parents should always keep in mind that wearing a helmet is critical to avoid head trauma should a fall or accident occur. Statistics show that riders who do not wear helmets are 14 times more likely to be involved in a fatal accident. However, making the decision to wear a helmet is only the first step.

Tips to Ensure Your Helmet is Safe

Helmets should have a sticker that says it meets standards set by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). If your child’s helmet doesn’t have this sticker on it, buy them one that does.

• Ensure your child’s bike helmet fits properly – it shouldn’t be too small or big. If you’re unsure ask someone at a bike store.
• Always wear a helmet, even if it’s a short ride.
• Re-enforce positive behavior and set a good example, by having parents and other adults wear their helmet as well. Kids should see that helmets protect everyone, not just kids.
• If your child does fall down and puts their helmet to the test, be sure to get a new one, they don’t work as well after a major crash.
• Make sure your child knows how to wear their helmet properly:
  — The helmet should be level and cover your child’s forehead. A good rule of thumb is to position the helmet two fingers above the eyebrows.
  — The strap should always be fastened
  — Make sure the straps are adjusted so they’re snug enough that you can’t pull or twist the helmet around their head

Regardless of whether kids are walking or riding around this summer, they need to understand crosswalk safety – it is especially important to form these good habits now for when they return to school in the fall. According to SafeKids.org, children ages 9 and under have a pedestrian death rate of 20 percent higher than children ages 10 to 14. Younger children (ages 4 and under) are more likely to suffer nontraffic-related pedestrian injuries, including those occurring in driveways, in parking lots and on sidewalks.

Safety Tips

• Look left, right and left again when crossing, and keep looking as you cross.
• Always use a crosswalk, but if there isn’t one cross at a corner, using traffic signals. Try to make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them. Never assume that because you can see the driver, the driver can see you.
• Walk, don’t run, across the street.
• Walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible.
• Be a safe pedestrian around cars. Watch for cars that are turning or backing up out of driveways or parking lots where they may not be able to see your child.
• Parents and kids should hold hands in parking lots.