Back-to-School Safety
The back-to-school season is an exciting time for children, educators, parents, and caregivers alike. At the Prevention Institute, we want everyone to keep child safety in mind. This time of year brings a change in routines, more motorists on the roads, and children expanding their skills and desire for independence. Whether you are a driver, cyclist, or pedestrian, school zones and the area surrounding outdoor play spaces require special attention.
Child Pedestrian Safety
Did you know children perceive the information needed to cross the street safely differently than adults? Children are not small adults. Their vision, hearing, problem solving, and thinking skills are still developing. Injuries to child pedestrians are often severe due to these developmental differences and their physical size.
The good news is that through guidance, encouragement, repetition, and practice from a young age, children can learn how to cross a street safely and confidently.
Our newly revised Child Pedestrian Safety Fact Sheet provides tips for talking to children about pedestrian safety and step-by-step instructions on how to cross a street safely. It also contains important information about child development and how it impacts the skills and abilities needed for safe pedestrian crossings.
For more child pedestrian safety resources and information, visit www.skprevention.ca/safety/pedestrian-safety/.
Playground Safety
Outside of the classroom, playgrounds offer children a new environment to explore as they learn, play, grow, and develop their sensory-motor skills. Playgrounds are also important because they allow children to socialize as well as experience risks that test the boundaries of their abilities.
A safe playground design allows children to jump, climb, balance, and fall without hazards that may cause a serious or life-threatening injury. Adult supervision and teaching young children safe playground behaviours (for example, sitting on swings and slides, going feet-first down slides, not pushing on playground equipment, and waiting their turn) is also needed to create safe play environments. In Saskatchewan, playground injuries are a leading cause of hospitalization for children aged 1-9.
Our revised Playground Safety Fact Sheet outlines steps parents, caregivers, and educators can take to protect children from common playground-related injuries. It also includes a checklist to assist everyone in the community with monitoring local playgrounds and play structures to ensure they are safe and well-maintained. To learn more about playground safety and the importance of risk-taking during outdoor play, visit www.skprevention.ca/safety/playground-safety and www.skprevention.ca/safety/risk-in-play/.
