If you are a daycare director or teacher, it is your job to keep your students safe at all times. The summer time presents unique challenges for keeping your students safe. Here are three ways that you can reduce summer injuries at your daycare this year.
#1 Learn About Dangerous Insects
The first way that you can reduce summer injuries is by learning about the dangerous insects that come out in your area during the summer months. Contact your local zoo or university science department, and see if they can provide you with a list of dangerous insects in your area. Get pictures of all the dangerous insects in your area, and print them out for your staff. You want your staff to be educated and able to spot a dangerous insect so they can discourage your students to not play with it. You also want your staff to know how to properly respond should a dangerous insect ever harm one of your students. This is one way that you can go above and beyond in protecting your students this summer.
#2 Have A Summer Sun Procedure
The second thing you can do to protect your students it to set up a center-wide procedure for summer sun protection. You should require your teachers to put sunscreen on each and every student before they go outside for recess or any activity. Have the parents provide the sunscreen and individually label each sunscreen. Have your staff put on and use gloves to apply the sunscreen. If any of your students have allergies related to sunscreen, make sure that your staff is aware so no cross contamination occurs between sunscreens.
Next, have each of your students bring in a labeled water bottle. Have your staff fill the water bottles and take them outside with you. Encourage and make sure that all students come and get at least one or two drinks while you are playing outside; the longer you are playing outside, the more drinks of water your students should take.
For students who don't bring water bottles, take a pitcher of water outside and some plastic cups. It is your job to make sure that all students have access to water so they can stay hydrated when playing in the hot summer sun.
Finally, encourage your students to wear hats outside to protect their heads and their faces from the sun.
#3 Teach Your Students How To Properly Use All Equipment
Finally, one of the major ways that your students can get hurt is on the outside equipment that your center has. Do not assume that your students know how to play on the equipment; teach them the proper way to use each piece of equipment the same way you would introduce a new toy or center within your classroom. Introduce how to properly use the equipment, provide guided practice and feedback to your students, and correct any misuse of the equipment by gently redirecting and showing your students the proper way to use the equipment again.
By implementing the three suggestions above, you should be able to reduce the risk of injury associated with summertime play at your daycare.
For a local daycare, contact a company such as Noah's Ark Christian Daycare.
Share4 July 2016
Welcome to my blog. My name is Eddie, and I love to talk about technology, but I also love old fashioned fun. That includes anything, from playing hopscotch, to telling stories, to knitting, to gardening. I have three grand kids, and I see them immersed in an exciting world where they can explore those old fashioned things but also immerse themselves in technology. It truly doesn't have to be one or the other. I am very interested in child care centers that have found interesting ways to blend both of these categories. I wanted to foray a bit more into the tech world myself so decided to create this blog. I hope you like its ideas and facts.