Keeping Children Safe

Children of all ages need adults to help keep them safe. They are naturally curious and learn through exploring the world around them. As children learn through play, they can get hurt. But there are steps families can take to protect their children from serious injury when accidents happen.

These helpful resources from Safe Kids Worldwide cover a range of topics, from water safety and gun safety to keeping children safe from burns and carbon monoxide poisoning or while riding bikes, skateboards, and scooters:

• Keeping your baby safe
• Keeping your toddler or preschooler safe
• Keeping your school-age child safe
• Keeping your preteen safe (ages 10–14 years)
• Keeping your teen safe (ages 15–19 years)

The next sections provide safety resources by topic area.

Child Safety in the Home

For children younger than 5 years old, most injuries occur in or around the home. Families can reduce or prevent the risk of injury by removing hazards so children can safely explore the world around them. Learn more about keeping your child safe at home with these resources.

Child-Proofing Your Home

• Review these home safety tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to keep young children safe.
• Use this Home Safety Checklist from Safe Kids to make sure your home is safe, room by room.
• “Childproofing Your Home - Several Safety Devices to Help Protect Your Children from Home Hazards,” from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, highlights devices you can use to keep your child safe at home.
• Falling can be a hazard for young children. Learn about ways to prevent falls in ”Falls Prevention Tips,” from Safe Kids Worldwide.

Preventing Choking

Children younger than 5 years old are at greatest risk for choking while eating. Here are some resources to help you prevent choking.

• Learn how to reduce the risk of choking at meal times with this Reducing Risk of Choking in Young Children tip sheet from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
• This Nemours KidsHealth tip sheet on preventing choking describes the foods, toys, and other types of objects that can pose a choking hazard for young children.

Preventing Poisoning

Every day, hundreds of children in the United States ages 0 to 19 years are treated in an emergency room because they ingested something poisonous. Lots of things around your home can be potentially poisonous, such as household cleaners, alcohol, lead paint, and medicine. Active, curious children will often investigate—and sometimes try to eat or drink—anything that is left out and within their reach. By knowing the risks, you can help keep kids safe.

Here are some resources to protect your child from accidental poisoning.

• This resource from Nemours KidsHealth provides an overview of items that could pose a poisoning risk to children and teens.
• Common medicines like pain relievers or cold medicine can be dangerous if a child ingests them in large amounts. Read this medication safety resource from the Up and Away initiative to learn how to store medicine safely and teach your children about medicine safety.
• Children younger than 6 years old are at greatest risk for health problems caused by lead exposure. Learn more on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s web page on preventing lead poisoning in children.

Child Safety While Outside

Outdoor spaces offer children opportunities to explore and learn about the world around them. At the same time, many hazards exist outdoors that can be serious risks to children. Here are some resources you can use to keep your child safe while outside.

• Playground safety: Playgrounds provide children with unstructured, free play that is important for healthy development. Use AAP’s article on “Playground Safety” and Safe Kids Worldwide's playground safety tips to make sure your child has a safe playground experience.
• Sun safety: AAP’s ”Sun Safety: Information for Parents about Sunburn and Sunscreen“ provides tips to help families stay safe from the sun’s harmful rays.
• Bike safety: AAP’s ”Bike Helmets for Kids: Parent FAQs” helps you choose the best bicycle helmet for your child.
• Pool safety: Children younger than 4 years old have the highest drowning rates, and most drownings happen in swimming pools. AAP’s web page on pool dangers and drowning prevention provides tips you can use to keep your child safe around swimming pools and hot tubs.
• Stranger safety: Meeting people we don’t know is part of everyday life. ”Stranger Danger and Stranger Safety,” from Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospitals, provides important tips to help you talk to your child about strangers.
• Gun safety: Children are naturally curious, and if they find a gun, it can be dangerous. AAP’s “Is There an Unlocked Gun Where Your Child Plays?” provides tips about storing guns safely away from children.

Child Safety While on the Go

Check out these tips for keeping your child safe on the go.

• Dangers exist in and around vehicles that could seriously harm your child. For instance, heatstroke caused by leaving a child in a hot car is one of the leading causes of non-crash vehicle-related fatalities among children. Learn more on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s web page on keeping kids safe in cars.
• Choosing a stroller for your child can be overwhelming. AAP’s ”How to Choose a Safe Baby Stroller” offers tips on features to consider when looking at convenience, comfort, and keeping your child safe.
• Did you know school buses are one of the safest vehicles on the road? Even so, children are at greatest risk when getting on and off the school bus. Safe Kids Worldwide provides helpful tips for talking to your child about school bus safety.
• Traveling with children can have its challenges. Read AAP’s travel safety tips for safe and stress-free travel in cars or airplanes.

Child Car Seat Safety

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To keep children safe while traveling in a car, make sure your child has the right car or booster seat based on their age, height, and weight.

• Learn more about car and booster seat safety recommendations and guidelines from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
• Read AAP’s ”Car Seats: Information for Families” for tips on making sure your child’s car seat is properly installed and to find answers to common questions about installing and using child safety seats.
• Read Safe Kids Worldwide’s web page for more car seat safety tips.