In the United States, many people are looking forward to the long weekend afforded by President’s Day. In Canada, though, citizens will be off work for Family Day. A new report has been issued by the Insurance Bureau of Canada offering safety tips that anyone using the day off to spend outdoors with family could put into action to protect their kids. Seeing as how those tips could also apply to persons here in California who are off for President’s Day, you should keep them in mind as well.
Safety measures will depend on the type of activity you’re going to take part in. If you’re getting away to a ski resort for the weekend, for example, then you’ll need to make sure that your children are skillful enough to head down the slopes. They should stick to the areas that would be reasonable for a child to try out, and supervision needs to be lent by parents at all times to ensure kids are not trying unsafe maneuvers or exiting the boundaries of the resort.
If you’re not going to travel to a ski resort, you still may be able to head to an area where your child will be able to sled. Even this requires safety attentiveness. Once again, a parent should be available to monitor activity, and sledding should occur on a safe hill without obstructions.
Sledding is not an appropriate activity at night or for frozen bodies of water. The former precaution goes for just about winter activity, as you and your children aren’t going to be able to spot potential obstacles if there isn’t sufficient light.
Ice skating is another thing that children might be inclined to try. What’s great about this is you don’t even have to travel to a cold locale to experience this. Most cities in California will have some type of skating rink you could take your kids to to pin down the basics of skating.
This option is preferable to heading to a frozen body of water, which will necessarily pose a hazard. It’s hard to be completely sure that such a thing will be able to withstand the weight of an individual, but if you have your heart set on outdoor skating in this regard, then at the very least contact officials overseeing the area to confirm the relative safety of the ice.
Finally, no matter what you’re going to help your child learn the ropes of, make sure they have the appropriate clothing and equipment. Skates and helmets both need to fit well, as does any additional gear your child has adorned. Dress a child up with plenty of warm clothing so that you know they won’t suffer the dangerous effects of the cold.