Summer Safety Guide for Children

When summer arrives and school lets out, most children enjoy outdoor activities—swimming, biking, camping, and more.  It's a time when injuries ranging from playground falls and sunburns to accidents at the pool and the beach are more likely to occur. These tips for parents and caregivers are designed to help keep children safe and healthy during the summer months.

General Summer Safety Tips for Children

• Maintain constant supervision of children in and around any water environment—pool, stream, lake, tub, toilet, bucket of water—no matter what skills your child has acquired and no matter how shallow the water.
• Have children wear only U.S. Coast Guard approved life vests, also known as personal flotation devices (PFDs), on boats, docks and around deep or swift water.  
• Make sure children always wear a helmet when riding a bicycle or scooter, or are rollerblading or skateboarding.
• Protect children from excessive sun exposure, especially from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Use sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or higher.
• Always supervise children when they use play equipment.  
• Always keep children away from lawn mowers in use. Never allow a child to ride on a mower.
• Have children wear shoes and light-colored clothing to minimize the risk of bee and insect stings.
• Use insect repellent sparingly on older children and never on infants.
• Teach children never to eat or pick any plant without checking with an adult.
• Call your nearest Poison Control Center, or if you feel the condition is serious, dial 911 immediately, if you suspect a child has been poisoned by a plant. In New York City, Poison Control is 1-800-222-1222.  If you live in Rockland, Orange, Putnam or Sullivan Counties, call Poison Control at 1-800-336-6997.
• Always keep children away from barbecues, bonfires and lighter fluid.
• Strap children in a properly-fitting seat belt, car seat or booster seat when traveling by car or airplane.

Sun Safety Tips for Children

• Keep children under six months old out of the sun as much as possible.
• Have children use sun block, even in the early spring, late in the day and on cloudy days. (UV rays can easily pierce cloud cover.)
• Apply sun block about 30 minutes before a child goes outside. If you wait until children are outside, they will be unprotected for the first 30 minutes, which is more than enough time to burn.
• Use enough sun block. Most people don't use nearly enough sun block when they apply it on their children (and themselves!). Apply a thick layer all over your child"s body.
• Don’t miss any area of a child’s body when applying sun block. (Be vigilant about reaching every area, even when children squirm or are uncooperative.)
• Have children use a lip balm with 15 SPF, not sunscreen, on their lips.
• Reapply sun block every few hours, especially when children play in the water or perspire.  Even waterproof sun block must be reapplied often.
• Remember that sand and water both reflect UV radiation, so staying in the shade under a beach umbrella does not provide complete protection.
• Make sure kids play in the shade or inside when the sun is strongest, between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm.
• Have children wear sunglasses—real ones, not toys, that indicate the UV-protection level.

How to Keep Children Safe from Insect Bites

• Cover as much of a child's skin as possible with clothing—long sleeve shirt, long pants, socks and a cap.
• Have children wear light-colored clothing, which should attract fewer bugs.
• Don"t use scented soaps or perfumes on an infant, since fragrances can attract insects.
• Use safe and effective insect repellents to protect your child—those with DEET, citronella or soybean oil. Only use repellents with DEET that contain less than 10-30% DEET.  
• Never use insect repellents on infants.
• Use only products that are approved for children and use sparingly. 
• Apply insect repellent to clothing instead of to skin so that it won't be absorbed.
• Avoid applying repellent to areas near the eyes, mouth, open cuts or hands of small children. They may rub their eyes or put their fingers in their mouth. 
• Wash off insect repellent as soon as possible.
• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for any insect repellent you use.
• Remember that insect repellents don’t protect against most stinging insects, such as fire ants, wasps and bees.
• Avoid areas with insect nests.

Staying Healthy At Animal Exhibits

• Always supervise children below 5 years old. 
• Find out where hand-washing stations are located.
• Always have children wash their hands with running water and soap after petting animals or touching the animal enclosure, and especially before eating and drinking. (Adults should also wash their hands.) Use hand gels if running water and soap are not available.
• Make sure to supervise children's hand washing.
• Keep food and drinks out of animal areas.
• Do not share food with animals.
• Never allow children to put their hands or objects like pacifiers in their mouth during or after interacting with animals.