Summer Safety Tips

[fetch, BSN, RN]

I'm doing one last bulletin board for the final 3 weeks of school, focusing on Summer Safety for elementary age. Any ideas to include?

Here's what I've got so far:

Always wear a helmet when you ride your bike.

Always swim with a buddy.

Make sure you wear sunscreen.

Wear your safety pads when skating.

If you see a snake, leave him alone!

Drink lots of water when you play outside.

I'd really like to say "Always swim with a lifeguard," but our area has so many waterways and lakes that it's more realistic to just hope for a buddy system. Maybe something with stranger danger as well?

[JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN]

Maybe something about looking both ways when crossing the street? Or Dog safety (i.e. asking if it is okay to pet a new dog)?

[fetch, BSN, RN]

Ooh, good ideas. Definitely like the dog one.

[T-Bird78]

Leaves of three, let it be. Also something about carrying the epi-pen for food allergies and venom!

[OldDude]

Always obey your parents!!

[coughdrop.2.go, BSN, RN]

I would mention about keeping healthy. Summer time means more snacks and sugary drinks. Nothing wrong with lemonade to cool off, but water is the best for hydration.

[Cackalacky]

That's about all I taught for outside safety. I was just a little more detailed on the swimming- Never dive unless an adult says it's deep enough (or if there is a diving board). Never swim and eat or chew gum. Stay in shallow water if you're not a good swimmer. Wear your PFD at all times when on water equipment. Wear swim shoes in water your can't see through (lakes and ponds). Don't drink the water people swim in!

I guess that depends on how detailed you want to be. I could be more detailed because it was taught as a class.

[amoLucia]

Avoiding strange-acting or unusual animals, like snakes, raccoons, aggressive animals, etc.

To cackalacky - what's the issue with swimming and gum chewing/eating in water? I never heard of that one. I'm guessing aspiration/asphyxia risk?

[Cackalacky]

Yeah, I found it on a page when I was looking for ideas. Swimming

The reason I included it in my presentation is because of the risk of choking. I just imagine a child taking a deep breath to go underwater or laughing and then choking. Maybe I just worry too much about that... but I just imagine no one noticing the child choking because they're unable to communicate except for splashing the water which could be mistaken as playing.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

That's a good idea Cackalacky - a local preschooler died when he was eating a hotdog and walked away from the lunch table when he started choking. No one heard him. So, the rule is you cannot get up from the table while still eating. Eating while swimming is not a good idea either.

We recently had an 11 year old killed when he rode his skateboard under the back tires of a big rig - the kiddo was about to ride across the street at the crosswalk but didn't look ahead of himself and rode right under the truck. Not sure what kind of rule to make - he wasn't wearing a helmet but that would not have helped. The rule should be walk your bike/skateboard across the street; don't ride. But even after that happened, I still see kids in this small town riding skateboards without helmets across streets.

[amoLucia]

That's a good idea Cackalacky - a local preschooler died when he was eating a hotdog and walked away from the lunch table when he started choking. No one heard him. So the rule is you cannot get up from the table while still eating. Eating while swimming is not a good idea either. [/quote']Read a long time ago that hotdogs were the #1 choking food for kiddos. Had several close calls with my LTC pts.

Green grapes are also a risk.