Staying Safe While Enjoying the Great Outdoors

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After the age of 3, your child wants to spend at least part of the time on his own two feet. Now that he?s 4, he?ll want to be even more mobile as he develops into an explorer on family outings. After the age of 3, your child wants to spend at least part of the time on his own two feet. Now that he's 4, he'll want to be even more mobile as he develops into an explorer on family outings. Even as you rejoice in becoming equipment-free, you'll want to acquire as much knowledge as possible to protect your little adventurer.

So whether you're setting off on a camping or fishing trip a long way from home or going for a hike in a local park, you and your children should know what to do if they or you get lost or separated from each other. You should also know something about conserving energy and protecting skin. The things children learn on these outings should prepare them for a life of outdoor fun and adventure.

The following eight easy precautions will help keep your outdoor excursions safe.

 Sunscreen Rules

 Hats On

 Water Wise

 Snack Facts

 Blow That Whistle

 Dress for Success

 Leader of the Pack

 Hug a Tree

Sunscreen Rules Even on cloudy days the sun's rays can burn. Winter excursions are just as bad as summer outings for the face and other exposed skin. Always smooth on a layer of sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher when you start out and again at lunchtime. Have children over 3 try to do it themselves to start learning the habit, but make sure an adult checks for full coverage.

Hats On  Hats are much more than decoration. In winter we lose a lot of body heat from an exposed head; in summer we gain heat this way. This rule applies even more so to children because of their relatively large head size compared to their body size. Scalp sunburn is painful and dangerous, and being too cold (hypothermia) or too warm (hyperthermia) is easier to avoid when heads are covered. If your hands are cold, put on a hat.

Water Wise Bring lots of water, and encourage your children to drink lots of it. You'll avoid the fatigue and dehydration that drinking too little water brings. Slow-moving, irritable children are often thirsty. As soon as they are 3, they should carry a bottle of water themselves in a backpack and take drinks often.

Snack Facts Children need refueling at least every two hours. Even if you plan to be out only a short time, pack food for unexpected delays. It's a good habit to get into.

Blow That Whistle  Put a whistle on a long cord around your child?s neck, and tuck it inside his clothes so it won?t get caught on anything. Teach him to blow it only if he is lost. Again, emphasize to your child?without scaring him?that this isn?t a game. Develop a signal (one short whistle, one long one, for example) to call everyone together at a designated meeting area. Don?t count on kids under 5 to remember that place, but go through the routine all the same; eventually they will remember, and in the meantime it sets up good habits.

Dress for Success  Wear long pants and high boots if critter bites, underbrush scratches, and poison ivy are a possibility. Use insect repellent, and check clothing for ticks at the end of an outing in the woods or fields.

Leader of the Pack   Make your child the leader of the hike. He?ll be proud, and you?ll be able to keep your eye on him. Teach your leader to keep checking back on his followers to be sure that everyone stays together.

Hug a Tree  This isn?t philosophy, it?s safety. Teach kids to literally hug a tree if they are lost. Tell them to find the loneliest tree around and then go hug it. And keep on hugging it. Kids are easier to find when they stay put.

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Safety

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outdoors