Amusement Park Safety... Inflatable Bounce House Safety... Picnic Safety... How to Avoid Bee Stings... Streetwise Corner: Predators... Safe Outing Tip

Amusement Park Safety
Carnivals and amusement parks are exciting places for kids and bring back memories for adults. Always keep safety in mind to avoid bad memories of being lost or injured.

Here are a few safety tips (for any outing to a crowded public place):

1> Practice talking to strangers
To ask for help, a child has to know how. Role play by having your child practice with a stranger: asking for help, describing his situation, giving his phone number, etc (under your supervision, of course).

2> Dress yourself and your kids in brightly colored clothes. If you and your child stick out in a crowd, you will be able to see each other, and it may be easier for other people to recall if they need to help you find your child.

3> Don't have your child wear things with his name on it. A stranger may read your child's name off his clothes/hat and trick your child into trusting him/her or distract him so he's separated from you.

4> Take a snapshot of your child with your cell phone before venturing out. This will help others help you find your child.

5> Establish a meeting place as you go through each section of the park. For younger children, don't just point or say where to meet if separated; show them exactly where to meet (e.g., "If you get separated from us, wait by this tree.")

6> Point out uniformed park attendants or security guards and tell your children to go ask those people for help if they get separated.

7> Never let or force children on a ride they don't meet physical guidelines for or are afraid of. If they panic, they may try to get off before the ride ends, causing serious injury/death; the ride restrictions are based on safety reasons.
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Bounce Ouches
sources: saferparks.org, sciencedirect.com

They're one of the most popular forms of outdoor entertainment at parties, carnivals, even pumpkin patches: Inflatable Bounce Houses (or moonbounces).
While an (inflatable) bouncer is a convenient way for active kids to keep busy, it is not a babysitter. Many serious injuries have occurred as a result of negligence and inadequate supervision. To avoid a trip to the emergency room:

1-- Only the inflatable bouncers' staff should set-up and take down the bouncers.

2-- Children should only be allowed in a bouncer when adult supervision is present.

3-- Limit the number of players according the manufacturer’s recommendation and this will allow each child enough room to play safely.

4-- Have separate bouncing sessions according to age and size. (Allowing younger children to jump with older children is the most common safety hazard).

5-- Do not climb or hang on the walls of the bouncers.

6-- Avoid using a bouncer on wet or windy days.

7-- Remove shoes before using a bouncer.

8-- Keep sharp objects, pets, food, and drinks away from the bouncers.

9-- Make periodic checks to ensure the bouncer is still securely pegged down.

10-- Make sure you can quickly get the kids out if the bouncer starts to deflate or if the blower motor stops.

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resources: saferparks.org, myparentime.com, Commonwealth of Massachusetts

The Key to Great Picnics: Invited Guests Only
The weather's looking good so it's time to get the family and friends together for a picnic at the park or beach! Here's how not to ruin the mood with unwanted guests like foodborne bacteria or bees.

Food Safety
Food poisoning caused by bacteria on food usually results in nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or fever. Bacteria thrive between 40^-140^F, so you'll want to keep cold foods cold (below 40^F) and hot foods hot (above 140^F).*

As a general rule, if it was refrigerated at the store or says "refrigerate after opening", it needs to keep cold (below 40^F). Non-perishable foods like chips, cookies, and bread can be left out with no special handling.

*Most food is safe on the table for up to two hours, and should then be thrown out. If the air temperature is over 90^F, food should only be left out for one hour.

> Foods meant to be served cold should be chilled thoroughly in the fridge before being packed in a cooler.

> Put food on the bottom with lots of ice packs on top. A full box retains the cold longer than a partially full one, so fill empty spaces with extra ice or ice packs.

> Use separate coolers for ready-to-serve foods and beverages, and another for any uncooked, unfrozen meat.

> Do not set up your party in an area where there's an insect nest.

> Wash your hands frequently with antibacterial soap, gel or wipes.

> Keep your coolers in the shade, with the lid closed; avoid opening it as much as possible.

> Keep food, plates, serving ware, and flatware covered before use to avoid germs from flies and insects.

> Always put barbequed food on clean plates to avoid cross-contamination. Never use a plate that the food was on in its raw state.

> Only serve as much food as will be consumed in two hours*. Keep the rest in the cooler. If left in a cooler and there’s still blocks of unmelted ice in it, then the food should be safe to eat.
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source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, medicinenet.com, nutrition.about.com, revolutionhealth.com

- Avoid fragrances, hair products, soaps, lotions, and oils. Sweet and floral scents are very attractive to bees.

- Don’t wear bright colors like white, yellow, blue, and purple, as they look very alluring under uv light. Don’t wear floral patterns-- you might be mistaken for a flower patch.

- Be very careful with food, especially sweet, sugary stuff. Cans of soda are notorious: Bees climb in unobserved, and are frightened into stinging when someone drinks.

- Wash hands immediately after eating and clean any sweet mess off your clothes and/or face.

- Stay as still as possible if a bee is close. Bees only sting in self defense and are frightened by sudden movements.

- Blowing gently on the bee may encourage it to move on.

- Wear a hat. Bees are more aggressive when they’re close to hair because furry animals steal honey from bees.

Bee Sting Treatment
For most, bee stings only cause minor discomfort and swelling and go away within a few hours with simple treatment.

1) Remove the stinger immediately: just flick it off with a sideways scrape with your fingernail or a credit card.

2) Clean the sting area.

3) Relieve the sting: apply a cold compress and/or anti-inflammatory and antibiotic ointment. If none of these is available, placing a penny on it for 20 min may do the trick.

If you have a serious reaction like anaphylaxis, seek medical attention immediately. (symptoms include hives or itching all over the body, swelling in other parts of the body than the sting area, difficulty breathing, dizziness, cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weak and rapid pulse)
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resources: drgreene.com, Ehow.com, mayoclinic.com

1> Be aware. Know where your children are and whom they are with at all times. Most victims are molested by someone you and your children know and trust.

2> Be watchful. Look out for any adult or teenager who pays an unusual amount of attention to your child or give gifts to your child.

3> Talk to your children. Make sure your children know how to recognize inappropriate touching if it happens to them, and make sure they know what to do.

4> Teach your children to be careful on the Internet. Don’t assume for a moment your kids are safe online.
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Safe Outing Tip #9
If a suspicious car is following you, turn around and run in the opposite direction of the car.
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