Summer Safety Tips for Kids

NSTAR and Children's Hospital Boston want to make sure your children have a fun and safe summer. As part of our partnership with Children's Injury Prevention Program, we're pleased to provide the following summer safety tips compiled by members of the Children's Hospital Staff.

• Always supervise children playing in or near water. Nine out of 10 children who drown each year are unsupervised. Don't let safety products like inner tubes or water wings give you a false sense of protection.
• Wear personal floatation devices like life jackets when out on boats, near open bodies of water, or participating in water sports such as water-skiing or canoeing.
• Prevent kids from falling out of open windows. Use window guards to protect young kids.
• Supervise children at playgrounds and make sure the ground is covered by a safe surface such as mulch, gravel, rubber or fine sand.
• Use SPF 15 or higher sunscreen even when it's cloudy.
• Children need helmets every time they use bikes, scooters, skateboards or rollerblades. Children also need pads for their knees, elbows and wrists when using scooters, rollerblades and skateboards.
• Keep in mind, it's the law in Massachusetts for all children under 13 years of age to wear helmets every time they ride their bikes.
• Helmets should fit snugly and evenly on the child's head and should not tilt forward or backward. If necessary, adjust foam fittings inside and tighten chinstraps as snug as possible.
• Don't overestimate your child's pedestrian skills. All children under 10 need help crossing the street.
• Ninety percent of all child safety seats are misused. Call your local police station to make an appointment with a certified child passenger safety technician who can tell you whether you're using yours correctly.

For more information about kids safety, call Children's Hospital Boston's Injury Prevention Program at 617-355-2754.