As summer approaches, we parents begin thinking about all the ways we can tempt kids to get outside, move, breathe fresh air and use their imagination. Your family may opt for a backyard pool to lure kids outside. You might build a miniature park with opportunities for play and exercise. The humble backyard fire pit is always an attraction, especially if a s’more and storytelling are involved.
At New Canaan Pediatrics, we know the best way to enjoy summer is to enjoy it safely. Proper hydration and clothing, sunscreen amply and frequently applied, and cooling breaks are important regardless of what you’re doing in your backyard. Depending upon your backyard, we have additional safety protocols to keep your kids healthy and well.
Pools
If you’ve elected to invest in a backyard pool, you likely enjoy being in and around pools and so have experience with and respect for pool safety, but not everyone in your backyard will have that same pool safety knowledge. Pool safety essentially boils down to two categories: safe equipment and safe swimmers.
The safest backyard pools have multiple, redundant barriers to access. The American Red Cross recommends completely isolating fencing on all four sides, with self-closing and self-latching gates. Four-sided fencing reduces child drowning risk by 83% over a three-sided fence. That barrier should be strengthened by installing alarms on any doors or windows with pool-side access, and locking pool covers. Stairs, ladders or other means of getting into an above-ground pool should be removed, lifted, and securely stored or locked when not in use. Any drains or grates should have safety covers and release systems.
Kiddie pools should be filled with adult supervision. An adult should be present anytime – every single minute – a child is playing in or around water, no matter how shallow. Kiddie pools should be emptied immediately when play is finished, and the pool should be stored out of reach of children.
The safest backyard pools are only as safe as the people enjoying them. Establish and enforce safety rules in your backyard and practice and model safe swimming habits for your kids. Enroll your child in water safety or swimming lessons so they can get into the water, stay afloat, get breath, swim, and exit the water safely. Be aware that these lessons do not prevent drowning, especially with small children. Children and weak swimmers should never be left unsupervised in or around the pool. Always have a designated adult watcher with eyes on the pool – not on a book or phone. Keep inexperienced swimmers and young children within your arm’s reach at all times.
Trampolines
Some families keep their kids from bouncing off the walls by giving them a place to bounce in the backyard. Unfortunately, trampolines account for around 80,000 reported injuries every year. Nearly one-third of those injuries require surgical repair. The numbers are so staggering that many home insurance policies will not cover trampoline accidents. If your family uses a trampoline, prevent injuries with safe use. Install a safety net according to directions around the trampoline to cut the risk of fractures in half. You can further decrease risk by keeping the area around, under, and above the trampoline free and clear of any objects or overhangs.
Trampolines become significantly more dangerous when more than one person is jumping at the same time. Unpredictable direction changes and significant differences in jumper weight can lead to serious concussions and fractures. Enforce clear safety rules to ensure that only one child jumps at a time.
Home play equipment
The Us Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that home play equipment incidents account for around 50,000 child ER visits each year. Make sure your backyard playground is properly installed and properly used. Children should climb equipment where it’s meant to be climbed, not outside of or on top of the equipment. Train children to be observant of and avoid moving swings, bars and seats. Avoid ropes entirely on play equipment.
One of the most overlooked aspects of your backyard playground is the surface underneath it. Experts recommend – and your city or home insurance may require – impact-absorbent materials such as a thick layer of mulch or foam tiles underneath playground structures. Around 80% of all playground accidents are falls, and these materials blunt the impact of the inevitable fall off the equipment.
Check equipment regularly for loose, rusting or protruding hardware.
Fire Pits
While pools, trampolines and swing sets get your kids out during the day, your family may use a fire pit to get the kids to hang out with you at night. The US Fire Administration recommends you maintain a 3-foot safe zone around your grills, and we recommend that for fire pits as well.
Your fire pit should be at least ten feet away from any other structures. Set up on grass, concrete or other fire-safe materials, never wood or other flammable surfaces. Fires should never be left unattended and an adult should be present whenever a child is near the fire. Use metal screens over your fire pit to keep sparks and embers from floating off and causing damage.
It’s time for warm weather fun! Keeping it fun means keeping it safe! If you have questions about summer safety or your child’s health, send your New Canaan Pediatrics provider a message through your patient portal. We will be happy to help!