Three Outdoor Safety Essentials

Spending time outdoors playing and learning is an integral part of our childcare programs. Children naturally embrace all kinds of weather conditions and are excited by wind, rain, cloudy days, snow, fog, and warm sunny days. The natural environment stimulates our senses with changing temperatures, colours, sounds, and children respond with curiosity and interest to their surroundings.

Playing outside in different weather conditions is fun, but we want to make sure everyone is comfortable and protected from weather condition risks. We need to be aware of what the risks are, and make sure we follow safety guidelines.

Here are 3 outdoor safety essentials for children. 

Hydration 
Hydration is an important part of all outdoor activities; whether a strenuous game of chase, or a leisurely walk in a meadow. Water provides hydration without sugar or added colour and flavour so is ideal for children. It is important not to wait until a child feels thirsty and asks for a drink - because dehydration may have already begun. Instead make sure you always have water available and provide a few mouthfuls during breaks in playing games or sports. Hydration is more of a concern as temperatures or exposure to direct sun increases, but it can happen in all weather conditions. Risks include heat stroke and symptoms such as tiredness, headaches, and a general feeling of not being well. So keep the water bottles topped up and have regular breaks for refreshment.

Sunscreen 
If you're going to be outside for an activity, you will want to protect your skin with sunscreen. The UV light from the sun causes skin damage, which is considered cumulative and is a concern for skin cancer. Even when it’s cloudy out, there are still UV rays out coming through. So don’t think sunscreen is only for the beach. When you buy sunscreen get the highest protection level. While sprays and mists may be the quickest to apply it is also more difficult to ensure a complete and uniform application. In addition, consumer reports are warning to use sprays carefully around children because of the potential danger of breathing in the product. It is recommended to spray your hands and then apply the sunscreen to the child.

So along with the water bottle, make sure you have sunscreen ready to re-apply.

Clothing
What you wear for an outdoor activity depends on what the weather is like for the day. When the sun is out make sure children have a hat to shade eyes and protect their heads from the heat and the sun’s powerful rays. When it's warm, but windy, a windbreaker can protect skin from windburn and UV rays. If it’s raining outside a rainproof jack and boots are the order of the day. If there is a puddle nearby you know it will be irresistible so it’s important to have waterproof boots. In the winter, a good snowsuit, winter boots, hats, and mitts is essential. Remember children are fully immersed in the winter conditions, rolling in the snow, sliding down hills, sitting on the snow covered ground, and they need the extra water-proof and low temperature protection.

Getting children outdoors enriches their lives, and promotes health, and well being. Being prepared for weather conditions with the right clothing, protecting skin, and staying hydrated, will ensure that children are safe and comfortable for outdoor activities.

About Discovery Child Care Barrie Based Discovery Child Care brings nature into the classroom and takes the classroom into nature, offering an environmentally aware foundation of early learning for children, from infants to school age. We follow an Emergent Curriculum philosophy, which means your child will be provided with hands-on, play-based learning opportunities that will encourage active exploration, autonomy, choice, problem solving and plain old fun! Your child’s individual interests, abilities and needs will be considered when planning our indoor and outdoor programs. For more information, visit http://www.discoverychild.on.ca or http://www.forestschool.ca/

6 Fun Snow Activities For Children

What child doesn’t love a snow day? You get to bundle up and head out into the yard to play (and learn!). With winter fast approaching and the weather getting colder, it might be time to start thinking about what exactly to do on those days. Playing in the snow can be an excellent opportunity to develop fine motor skills and encourage outdoor learning while still having loads of fun.

What are some benefits to playing in the snow? 

Building A Snow Creature!

Coordination 
Walking through the snow is in itself a test of coordination and balance! Add in activities like jumping, rolling snowballs, throwing piles of snow, etc and you have many opportunities to develop coordination skills in the snow!

Math 
Counting snowballs and measuring the height of snow drifts or the depth of snow are great ways to develop some math skills.

Language 
Winter is the perfect time to introduce or reinforce some great adjectives such as icy, cold, wet, warm, hard, fluffy, crunchy, soggy etc

Science 
Have the children look around at how winter changes nature. What do the trees and plants look like? Can you spot some winter animals, or do you notice any animals missing? You can also talk about the life cycle of ice, icicles, snow, and snowflakes.

Winter Activities 

Here are some great ideas for some activities to do in the snow that will incorporate the benefits mentioned above.

1. Tobogganing is a great way to develop coordination as well as safety skills. Pick a safe hill away from traffic with a clear path. Make a safety checklist with the help of the child. Once all the safety rules are met (helmets are always a great idea!) you can start sliding!

2. Snow Sculptures! This isn’t your dad’s snowman! try making all sorts of different shapes and figures. Animals, critters, monsters, castles, etc… let the imagination fly! Develop artistic/creative skills, language skills, and coordination.

3. Snow Colouring. Fill a few spray bottles with water and food colouring. Have them create works of art in the snow or on snow drifts. Add some plant life back into the scenery by painting some flowery imagery. Or you can even use the spray bottles to give your sculptures some colour!

4. Snow Angels. Almost everyone knows how to make a snow angel. Lay down in the snow and move your arms up and down to create an effect like wings. Laying down in the snow also gives your child a new perspective. Have them describe what they see!

5. Fort building is a great way to develop math and coordination skills. Make blocks out of packed snow and pile them up to build a wall. Remember to be safe when digging any tunnels as the snow can collapse and cause injury.

6. Winter Walk. Take a walk through the neighbourhood to see the holiday lights, or through the local park to observe how nature changes in the wintertime. What plants and animals can you spot?What winter treasures can you find? You could even plan a scavenger hunt and have the child look for branches, winter birds, etc..

 Remember to stay safe through all of these activities. 

• Never play outside if the temperatures are below 25 degree celsius, as skin starts to freeze at this point. 
• Make sure children are dressed warmly- especially fingers and toes. 
• Avoid dressing too warmly as activity in the snow quickly warms up the body and sweat can make a child cold if when they stop moving. 
• Avoid aiming snowballs at cars or people, instead try lining up a few bottles or pin a target to a tree! 
• Be aware of roads and traffic. Icy roads make it harder to stop and icy windshields make it harder to see. 
• Wear sunscreen on exposed skin and eye protection as the sun is reflected off the snow and can cause skin and eye damage even in cold weather.

Halloween Safety Tips for Trick-or-Treaters

Have a safe and fun Halloween evening!

Make Halloween safety part of your holiday fun. Start with these practical Halloween safety tips.

By Mayo Clinic staff
It's the time of year for costumes, sweets, and tricks and treats. Put Halloween safety first with these common-sense tips.

Carve safely

Are your children begging to carve pumpkins? Make Halloween safety a family affair.

• Decorate with markers or paint. Let young children draw faces on pumpkins with washable markers or child-friendly paint. Leave any carving to an adult.
• Use candles with care. Place candlelit pumpkins on a sturdy surface away from curtains and other flammable objects. Never leave candlelit pumpkins unattended. Better yet, light pumpkins with flashlights or battery-operated flameless candles instead.

Get clever with costumes

From furry animals to princesses and superheroes, choosing costumes wisely is an important part of Halloween safety.

• The brighter the better. Whether you buy a costume or make one yourself, choose bright colors and flame-retardant materials. If your child will be trick-or-treating outdoors after dark, attach reflective tape to his or her costume.
• Size it right. In case it's chilly outdoors, make sure your child's costume is loose enough for warm clothing to be worn underneath — but not long enough to cause tripping. Avoid oversized shoes and high heels.
• Skip the masks. A mask can obstruct your child's vision, especially if it slips out of place. Use kid-friendly makeup instead.
• Limit accessories. Pointed props — such as wands, swords and knives — may pose safety hazards.

Trick-or-treat with care

The promise of Halloween candy may leave stars in your child's eyes, but Halloween safety still rules.

• Get in on the fun. Accompany trick-or-treaters younger than age 12. Pin a piece of paper with your child's name, address and phone number inside your child's pocket in case you get separated. Encourage older kids to trick-or-treat with a group of friends, parents or older siblings. Make sure someone in the group carries a flashlight with fresh batteries.
• Stay close to home. Don't allow your child to go door to door in an unfamiliar neighborhood.
• Set ground rules. If your child will be trick-or-treating without you, establish a route and set a curfew. Review safety rules, including staying with the group, walking only on the sidewalk, approaching only clearly lit homes and never going inside a home. You may want to give your child a cell phone for the evening should he or she need to contact you.
• Inspect the treats carefully. Don't let your child snack while he or she is trick-or-treating. Feed your child a healthy snack before heading out, and inspect the treats before allowing your child to dive in. Discard anything that's not sealed, has torn packaging or looks questionable. If you have young children, weed out gum, peanuts, hard candies and other choking hazards.
• Ration the loot. If your child collects gobs of goodies, dole out a few pieces at a time and save the rest. You may even ask your child if he or she would like to swap some — or all — of the candy for something else, such as a special toy, book or outing. You might also suggest donating excess candy to a food shelf or other charity.
• Plan a party. Consider planning a trick-or-treat party with a couple of neighbors instead of house-to-house door knocking. Decorate the garages, have a costume contest, and plan games and prizes.

Stay safe and sweet on the home front

If you'll be handing out treats, make sure you're ready for trick-or-treaters.

• Clean up. Put away anything trick-or-treaters could trip over, such as garden hoses, toys, bikes and lawn decorations. Clear wet leaves, snow or other debris from the sidewalk.
• Turn the lights on. Replace any burned-out bulbs to ensure good visibility at the walkway and front door.
• Control your pets. Take no chances that your pet might be frightened and chase or bite a child at your door.
• Consider sugar substitutes. Instead of handing out sugar-laden treats, try stickers, glittery pencils, rubber insects or colored chalk.

If you'll be driving on Halloween, watch for children who might pop out between parked cars. Be especially careful entering or leaving driveways and alleys. Extra caution can help ensure Halloween safety for everyone.