Children, teenagers and even adults love to go outside and play when it’s snowing outside. Snow still evokes something magical in us, but that doesn’t mean that safety should be disregarded. It’s possible to balance both fun and safety with these winter activity tips.
Winter activities for older kids typically involve sports that can result in injuries. Ice skating, sledding and especially snow boarding can all result in head or neck injuries without proper supervision or dress. While your children may protest, wearing a helmet is essential to keeping safe when snow boarding and skiing.It may actually be easier to convince kids to put elbow and knee pads on for winter activities since they can put them on underneath their bulky winter clothes, giving them protection without compromising the cool factor with their friends.
Make sure that the area that your children are using for active winter activities are clear of rocks, trees and busy roads. Running into these types of hazards result in the most amount of injuries that require a hospital visit. If the terrain looks like it’s too hilly or steep for your kids, trust your instincts and move them to another, safer location.
When ice skating, make sure that all equipment – especially the skates themselves – fit well. If your kids are going to be skating on a pond, check the ice yourself to make sure that the ice is thick enough to support the weight of your children.
Though these is no universally agreed upon time that it’s same to allow your children to play in the snow, children can suffer from being outside in the cold for too long. Make sure that their mittens or gloves remain dry – it’s smart to have a secondary pair on hand for times when their gloves are wet, but they’re having too much fun to come inside and change. Also, check your children’s faces regularly to make sure their noses and cheeks aren’t getting too red. If they are, it could be a sign that they’re being exposed to enough cold weather that they could get frostbite and it’s time to come inside. And, of course, anytime that the cold weather becomes uncomfortable, it’s time to come inside and take a warm shower.