Safe For All Seasons Activity
Introduction
Resources To Use
How-To
Introduction
Holidays are wonderful family times. They can also be very
dangerous because of the threat of fire. You can start helping
your children become aware of potential fire hazards amid
the holiday fun (without spoiling the fun) at a very young
age.
Resources
To Use
Home Hazard Hunt game.
(Several of the game’s hazards are holiday-related:
a jack-o-lantern, fire crackers, a dried out tree, a barbecue
grill and a pile of wrapping paper. As you play the game,
you can talk with kids about why these items might be fire
hazards and what you could do to prevent fires.)
How-To
Of course, you don't want holidays to be scary times
for your children. And you don't want to keep saying
"No," and "Don't" and "Be Careful."
But, your main objective is to avoid tragic burns and keep
everyone safe at holiday time, and all year round.
Here are some fire or burn-related dangers
to watch for around holidays:
Summertime/Fourth of July
Barbecues
Fireworks
Sunbathing/trips to the beach
Gas lawnmowers
Halloween
Jack-o-lanterns
Halloween costumes (flowing capes, light gauzy material, furry,
fuzzy tails should not go near candles or other heat sources).
Thanksgiving
Hot oven
Pans on the stove
Candles in a centerpiece
Christmas/Hanukkah
Electrical wiring/decorative lights
Candles
Pageant costumes
Trees, bushes, wreaths (dried out branches easily catch fire)
Decorations made of paper or other materials that burn easily
Wrapping paper
Hot oven (baking cookies)
Before a holiday or special outing, take time
to talk with your children about ways you can all stay safe
and prevent fires and burns. Discuss some of the potential
hazards/dangers using the appropriate items from the lists
above.
Brainstorm with your children about ways to
prevent problems; bring them into the safety planning process.
Come up with some safety "jobs" they can perform:
· Make sure the sunscreen and hats are
packed for the beach trip.
· Help check that the holiday tree has
enough water.
· Pick up and bag holiday wrappings
and keep them away from heat
sources.
· Help do a holiday check of decorations
to make sure flammable items
are away from heat sources.
Create safe 4th of July noisemakers. Let children
know that fireworks are for professionals to handle. There
are probably fireworks displays you can attend in your town.
For home use, work with children to create safe toys that
make noise.
1. Put several marbles in an empty oatmeal
box, or pennies in a small tin box (the kind that mints come
in). Seal it up with tape and decorate it.
2. Make megaphones by rolling thin cardboard
into a tube with a narrow end and a wide end. Tape the tube
and decorate it.
Winter Safety Note
Space heaters are the leading cause of home fires during the
winter months. According to the National Fire Protection Association®,
about 2/3 of the home fires associated with heating equipment
involve space heaters, wood or coal stoves and fireplaces.
If you have these kinds of heating devices
in your home, your whole family should be aware of some simple
and very important safety information.
Fires occur most often because the heating device was not
cleaned regularly, was too close to combustible materials,
had design flaws or was not properly fueled.
Here are some things you and your family can
do to stay safe and warm in winter:
• Buy heaters that carry a UL label
and choose models with automatic shut-off features.
• Have the unit installed and checked
by a qualified technician.
• Make sure space heaters are at least
three feet away from anything that can burn.
• If you use a a fireplace or a wood
or coal stove, make sure the chimney or chimney connector
is professionally inspected and cleaned regularly.
• If you use kerosene heaters, never
use gasoline. Use only the kind of kerosene recommended by
the manufacturer, and add fuel in a well-ventilated area only
when the heater is completely cool. Use kerosene heaters only
if they are legal in your community.
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