It’s that time of the year when children are dusting off their bicycles and scooters, and heading into the great outdoors. But too often, the youngest members of our families leave their helmets — and common sense — behind. Each spring and summer, hundreds of thousands of children are injured during outdoor recreation activities. Here are several key safety tips:
If it has wheels, wear a helmet. Wearing a helmet while riding a bicycle, skateboard or scooter is a key part of staying safe outdoors. Make it mandatory in your family. Also, read the safety materials that came with the helmet to ensure proper fit.
Have the right safety gear. Depending on what your child is doing outside, you may want to have them wear knee or wrist guards, or other safety equipment. Broken wrists, for example, are common injuries when skating or skateboarding. And don’t skip sports-specific gear, such as cleats when playing soccer.
Consider mouth, eye protection. Do your children play basketball, baseball or football? Check with your dentist to see if a mouth guard makes sense for them. The Academy of General Dentistry estimates that wearing mouth guards prevents more than 200,000 injuries a year. Likewise, depending on the sport, protective eyewear may be in order and could prevent a serious eye injury.
