As Alaska heats up for the summer, keep the children in your care safe with these tips:
Water safety
- Always supervise young children during water play. Drowning is one of the leading causes of “injury death” in children ages 1 to 4.
- Take a CPR class. The skills you learn might save a child’s life.
- Always wear a properly fitting life jacket while boating, and wait until baby is big enough to fit in a life jacket before taking her on her first boat ride. Check out Alaska’s Kids Don’t Float program to learn about life jacket loaner boards.
- Teach children not to swallow water while swimming in pools, rivers, lakes, or oceans to prevent water-borne illnesses.
Heat and Sun safety
- Never leave a child unattended in a car. The temperature in a car can raise to a life-threatening level in a matter of minutes.
- Apply sunscreen with at least SPF 30 to children 15 minutes before going outside, and reapply every two hours or when children get wet.
- Avoid scheduling outdoor activities when the sun is the strongest, usually between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
- Ensure children have access to plenty of drinking water and shade.
- Seek immediate medical attention if your child has signs of heat-related illness.
Injury prevention
- Always wear a helmet while biking, skating, etc. to prevent serious brain injury.
- Learn the signs of a concussion and what to do if a concussion occurs.
- Never allow anyone to attach a rope, jump rope, leash, or similar items to playground equipment. Children can strangle on these items, so remove anything you find tied to playground equipment.
- Never allow children to handle fireworks. Instead of buying your own fireworks, attend a community firework show run by professionals.