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Summer safety tips

The kids are out (or nearly out) of school for the summer, which means all kinds of active fun under the sun. Bikes and boards are rolling; cool, blue water is beckoning…Naturally we want our kiddos to be as safe as possible when engaging in all of this summer fun, so let’s talk some Summer Safety Tips! For starters, if you want hands-on lessons for the kids, then you’ll want to get them registered (sooner rather than later) in Oasis’s Waves & Wheels Youth Summer Fun Program, June 8 and 9, 9:30-11:30am. This program includes:
  • Introductory swim lesson and skill assessment
  • Water safety program
  • Spinal cord and brain injury awareness program and helmet scholarships by Billings Clinic
  • TrailNET of Billings will present bike rodeo and safety program

Plus!

  • A Bike give-away each day
  • If you sign up for swim lessons day of the program, get a 10% discount!
  • A free day pass to the Oasis
  • Snack bag for all participants

Bring:

  • Towel, Swimsuit, Change of Clothes, Bike and Helmet
Sign up online | Oasis: 543 Aronson Ave, Billings Heights

Sun Safety

Okay, so obviously, sunscreen, right? All the sunscreen all the time – every time you’re heading outdoors (preferably 30 minutes before going out). And don’t forget to re-apply that sunscreen every couple of hours. In addition to sunscreen, though, you can also help protect your skin by:
  • Covering up – this can mean the clothes you choose and/or the hats you wear. If wide-brimmed hats aren’t your thing, but baseball caps are, then don’t forget to screen the ears, neck, and face. (We should probably lather the screen regardless, in case we decide to lose the hat).
  • Sunglasses and Shade – Protect your eyes with sunglasses, and give your body a break from the rays from time-to-time, finding some shade along the way.
-adapted from the CDC’s Sun Proof

Wheel Safety

(bikes, boards, scooters, skates) Did you know, according to Safe Kids Worldwide, every hour, nearly 50 children visit emergency departments with injuries related to bikes, scooters, skates, or skateboards?

So what gear do we need?

  • Helmets, for sure…
    • However, almost 40% of parents with kids ages 5-14 reported their child does not wear a helmet when riding bikes/scooters/skates/skateboards.
    • But we should know that: helmets reduce the risk of head injury by at least 45%, brain injury by 33%, facial injury by 27% and fatal injury by 29%. –Safe Kids Fact Sheet
  • Helmets should be properly-fitted
  • Ensuring correct fit of a helmet can increase both comfort and use
  • Knee pads and elbow pads are recommended for scooters, skaters, and skateboarders. Wrist guards are also recommended for skaters and skateboarders.
-Safe Kids Worldwide Infographic

Riding Safety Tips:

  • Dress appropriately – Long or loose clothing can get caught in bike chains or wheel spokes.
  • Stay alert – Teach the kids to watch for vehicles.
  • Model good behavior – In other words, do what I do AND what I say. Lead by example by wearing a helmet when you ride.
  • Ride with traffic, not against it - Stay as far to the right as possible. Use appropriate hand signals and respect traffic signals, stopping at all stop signs and stoplights.
  • Stop and look left, right and left again before entering a street or crossing an intersection. Look back and yield to traffic coming from behind before turning left.
  • Be Bright. Use lights and reflectors so drivers can see you.

Skating/Skateboarding Safety Tips:

  • Age matters - According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), children under 5 should never ride a skateboard. A child’s balance and judgment have not fully developed yet, which means a high risk for a serious injury.
  • Streets should be off-limits, as most in-line skating fatalities involve collisions with motor vehicles.
  • Different skates and different boards do different things, so make sure kids have the right gear for their activity.
-Safe Kids

Water Safety

(according to the CDC, Drownings are the leading cause of injury death for young children ages 1 to 4, and three children die every day as a result of drowning). Following are tips from the CDC’s Make Summer Safe for Kids:
  • Always supervise children when in or around water. A responsible adult should constantly watch young children.
  • Teach kids to swim. Formal swimming lessons can protect young children from drowning. (Swim lessons can actually begin in infancy)
  • Learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Your CPR skills could save someone’s life.
  • Install a four-sided fence around home pools.
-Check out the top 10 tips on staying safe, no matter the aquatic activity with H20 Smartz If spending time on the water in a boat:
  • Wear a properly fitted life jacket every time you and your loved ones are on the water.