Outdoor Safety

Outdoor Supervision

  • NEVER leave your child alone in your yard or near vehicles without a mature adult in charge until they fully understand outdoor safety.
  • Keep your child away from moving machines, lawn mowers, streets, moving garage doors, and driveways.
  • When backing out of the garage or driving in the driveway, have another adult hold your child a safe distance away so they are not run over.
  • Watch your child around grills or open fires.

​Sun Safety Tips

Babies & Toddlers:
  • Keep your child well shaded and avoid sunburns and suntans.
  • DO NOT use sunscreen before 6 months of age.
  • DO NOT cover the stroller during the summer.

Children & Adolescents:
  • Limit time in the sun, especially during the hottest hours (10:00 am - 2:00 pm).
  • Make sure your child is wearing a hat and sunscreen before they go outside.
  • Use SPF 50 sunscreen lotion - NOT spray-on.

Street Safety Tips

  • Teach your child to look both ways when crossing the street.
  • Tell your child to NEVER cross the street without a grown-up until they are 10 years old.
  • Remind your child to NEVER ride their bike, trike, scooter, or skateboard in the street.

Helmet Safety Tips

  • Make sure your child is wearing a bike helmet EVERY TIME they ride anything with wheels (bike, trike, scooter, or skateboard).
  • Make sure their helmet fits correctly and is always worn properly with the chin strap.

Water and Pool Safety Tips

  • Supervise your child while they are near water by designating a water watcher – a person who watches consistently without using their phone for 15-minute intervals.
  • Learn to recognize signs of drowning.
  • Choose a swimsuit that is easy to see underwater.
  • Check that pools have 4-sided fences with self-closing latches.
  • Watch young children constantly whenever they are near water, including buckets, play pools, and large bodies of water. An adult should always be within arm’s reach when a young child is in or near water.
  • Empty buckets and play pools right after use.
  • When on a boat, children should ALWAYS wear a life jacket that fits.
For more information, visit The American Red Cross Water Safety website.

Farm Safety Tips

  • Separate young children from farm hazards by fencing in a play area.
  • DO NOT allow children under 16 to drive tractors, mowers, or ATVs.
  • DO NOT allow extra riders on tractors, mowers, or ATVs - the seats are only built for one rider!
  • Ensure there are rollover protective structures and seat belts on tractors or other equipment.
  • If you are teaching your children to use farm machinery, provide task-specific education and initial experiences in good weather on level terrain. A parent should ALWAYS supervise with visual contact.