Sometimes, as a parent, the last thing you want to see is a list of dangers that the world can pose to your child! After all, we spend so much of our time worrying about the safety of our children, often before they’re even born. But knowing the dangers can actually be reassuring in many ways; you’ll have more opportunities to tackle them!

Here are some of the things you’ll want to consider around this time of year when kids start getting more adventurous.

Sunburn

Sunny days are on their way, and if recent patterns year-by-year have shown as anything, it looks like summer going to be a scorcher. Having sunscreen to hand can be incredibly useful, especially because the weather may turn quite suddenly when you’re outside. Keep a small stick of roll-on sunscreen on you in case a top-up is ever needed. Sunburn isn’t only painful, it’s also incredibly dangerous to the health of your skin!

Playgrounds

We want to make sure the playgrounds we take our kids to are safe - and, indeed, many of us may automatically assume that local playgrounds must be safe. But they’re not always regulated and supervised by local governments as much as you may think, so it’s important that you have a good look around yourself. Do a little research. If the surfaces are asphalt and concrete instead of wood chippings or the likes of adventureTURF surfacing, then you may want to avoid that park, or even petition the local government to make some changes. If you’re really stuck when it comes to safe playgrounds, find out if any local schools open their facilities to the public or to very young local children when school hours are finished.

Litter

Litter isn’t just bad when it comes to contributions to climate change; it can also pose pretty direct dangers to us. Sure, foil packaging or crumpled paper isn’t really going to do much damage. But if you notice a lot of this sort of litter in a given area, then you may have to think about what other litter is in the area. Kids have a habit of rolling around in grassy areas and kicking piles of leaves about. What becomes more concerning for us is the possibility of broken glass or sharp, rusty tin. If you happen to come across an area where litter is pretty common, then you may want to supervise your children with extra care in these areas. It’s a sign that cleanliness and hygiene aren’t exactly priorities there!

Being prepared

I’m not going to suggest that you take an entire first aid kit with you wherever you go! But if you’re heading out with your kid, then it’s good to have a few things on you just in case. Bottled water is important - a lot of parents underestimate how easy it is for kids to get dehydrated! Plasters and antiseptic creams are always handy to have around, seeing as the occasional bump and scrape is pretty much inevitable! Thankfully, a lot of this stuff will fit comfortably in a handbag, so you don’t have to carry around some heavy-duty first aid bag that makes you look paranoid!