Last week, we were invited to Shriners Hospital for Children® in Tampa to learn about their On Track for a Safe Summer campaign. In this sponsored post, I’ll be sharing the great tips that I learned on how to keep your family safe this summer.

 

 

 

As I’m sure you’re all well aware, it is summer vacation for all of our school age kids. So when I asked my girls, Emily and Megan, to get up early I was prepared for a bit of grumbling. But when they heard where we were going, there was no grumbling at all. In fact they were eager to get going. Unfortunately, Megan ended up with a stomach bug and couldn’t go, but Emily and I went and had a great time.

 

I was impressed with how beautiful and non-hospital like the building was. It does NOT smell or feel like you are in a hospital at all! We then headed to the “fishbowl” where the event was to take place. It is so colorful and you can totally see why the call it the fishbowl.

 

 

Our first task of the day was to choose our superhero names.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once we had our names, we proceeded to learn about the steps to take to ensure a safe summer.

 

 

 

1.  Before going out to play:  Put on sunscreen to avoid a sunburn. Nothing ruins a fun day like a bad burn. They hurt! Put on shoes before going out too. You really want to avoid cuts, scrapes and splinters when playing.
2. At the Playground: Go to a playground with a shock absorbent surface. Don’t push or shove. Slide feet first and wait until the person in front of you is away from he bottom of the slide. Swing sitting down and do NOT jump off of a swing ever! Don’t walk in front of a swing or slide.
3. At the pool: Never go into or near a pool alone. Jump in feet first, never head first! Keep a close watch on children at all times, it only takes seconds for an accident to happen.
4. At the beach: Know the weather forecast before you go. Don’t go into the water alone. Be aware of riptides.
5. While boating: Always wear a Coast Guard approved, tight fitting life jacket. ALWAYS! Pay attention to the weather. Take a boater safety course before boating.
6. Mowing the Grass: Never play on or around a lawnmower, even when it’s off. Children under 6 should be indoors when cutting the grass. No one under 12 should operate a push mower. No one under 16 should use a riding mower.
7. Fire Safety: Never allow kids to play with or handle matches, lighters or candles. Keep them away from gasoline and lighter fluid. Don’t leave kids unattended around campfires even for a second. Don’t play around fire. Keep water or a fire extinguisher nearby.

 

After we learned some safety tips inside, we headed out to this great playground. At first glance, it looks like many other playgrounds that you see. But this is a playground with a purpose! While the kids are playing, they are also learning how to navigate the various surfaces that they may encounter with their new prosthetics.  I thought that was so clever.

 

 

 

June is national safety month and Shriners Hospital for Children® wants to help your family to stay On Track for a Safe Summer. But we all know that accidents can happen even when we are doing out best to keep our kids safe. It is very reassuring to know that if the unthinkable happens, Shriners Hospital for Children® is there.

 

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Shriners Hospitals for Children®.