Water Safety Tips For Kids

Summer means time in the sun and water, and these water safety tips for kids are important for every parent to remember. Not only do you want your kids to have a blast this year, you want them to be as safe as possible. From proper sun protection to swimming lessons you are doing your part to make sure they have the best and safest summer possible. These tips are just a few extra thoughts of reminder to help you make sure you have all the bases covered.

Reapply sunscreen regularly. This is something that is always included with water safety because people tend to forget that one application isn’t always enough. For children especially, it is important to use quality sunscreen and apply once every 2-3 hours. Wait 15-20 minutes after application before allowing children to get into water. This makes sure the sunscreen has been absorbed well and won’t be washed away. While this doesn’t make them safer in the water, it is important for their overall safety.

Use proper flotation devices. Floaties that go on arms are quite simply not a flotation device. While they are sold endlessly and many pools will have dozens of kids swimming around with that being the only flotation device, this is a dangerous practice. Look for a quality life vest that fits your child properly. It needs to be snug and attached well and appropriate for your kids weight and height.

Have an extra adult on hand to watch kids. If you have several children in your care at the pool, lake or ocean it is important that you are able to watch everyone. This means making sure you have another adult or a responsible teen on hand to watch with you. 4-5 kids per person is more than enough to handle. You may even feel safer if you manage to have only 2-3 children per adult to watch while in the water. This is especially handy with younger kids who are not good swimmers. 

Build a fence and gate around home pools. This is perhaps the most important water safety tip for kids who have home pools. Whether it is in ground or above ground, having a fence around the pool is very important. Younger kids can easily fall or jump into a pool and be unable to swim. It only takes a few seconds to set in motion drowning in a young child. A fence with a locking gate that children cannot open is a must.

Empty out kiddie pools and store after each use. One way that many children have drowned in the past is by exploring in their small kiddie pools when parents weren’t watching. It only takes an inch of water to drown, and a toddler or young child who wants to go back in their small backyard pool can easily end up hurt if it isn’t caught in time. After each use, empty and store kiddie pools so that water cannot sit in them creating a potential hazard.

This summer you can easily enjoy the fun that water play is while protecting your children at the same time. These are simple water safety tips for kids, but they are proven ways to protect your children from harm. Whether you have an at home pool, or you are headed to the beach as a family doesn’t matter. These tips can be put into practice for everyone to be safe this summer.