School-Age Children Development

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Safety

Safety is important for school-age children.

• School-age children are highly active and have a need for strenuous physical activity, peer approval, and increased daring and adventurous behaviors.
• Children should be taught to play sports in appropriate, safe, supervised areas, with proper equipment and rules. Bicycles, skateboards, in-line skates, and other types of recreational sports equipment should fit the child appropriately. They should be used only in accordance with generally recognized traffic and pedestrian rules, and with accompanying safety equipment (such as a bicycle helmet, knee, elbow, wrist pads/braces, and helmets for skating). Sports equipment should not be used in darkness or in extreme weather conditions.
• Swimming and water safety lessons can prevent drowning. Safety instruction regarding matches, fires, lighters, barbecues, camp fires, and cooking on stoves or open fires can prevent major burns.
• Wearing seat belts remains the most important way of preventing major injury or death due to a motor vehicle accident.