Taking care of children can be demanding, but looking after kids while you’re visiting some new sites on vacations or field trips is a whole different level of demanding. It’s true that vacations and field trips are supposed to be fun but if certain steps or measures are not put in place, they can become overwhelming experiences. This is why we’ve put together some helpful tips that will show both parents and teachers alike how to keep kids safe on vacations and field trips. Getting to the destination is half the trouble. You might want to read our post on keeping kids safe while traveling so you’ll know how to handle them en route.
Inspect your new environment
When you arrive at your hotel (or wherever you’ll be staying) it’s important that you do not assume that your rooms will meet your needs – especially if you have babies or toddlers. You may be tired from your flight and/or road trip so it’s okay to take some minutes to relax in the lounge or reception area. After you’ve done that, head on to your rooms and check for:
How childproofed it is.
Do the windows have safety stoppers or guards? Does the balcony present any risks to young children? Do the window blinds have looped cords? How about the power outlets; are any wires exposed? Also, check for breakable décor or furniture. Let the hotel management or your host know if you have any problems.
Pre-booking and pre-arranging lodgings are a good way to ensure that all these are factored into the rooms reserved for you. This way, there won’t be much – if any at all – to complain about after you’ve personally checked it out.
How clean it is.
We often take it for granted that our lodgings will be in good sanitary conditions when we arrive. However, many countries do not have the kind of stringent requirements that the US has. So, some of these things aren’t given serious attention. It’s especially likely to happen with smaller hotels. Even when the rooms are clean, it’s a good idea to rub down common contact surfaces with disinfectants. Door knobs, countertops, remote control, etc.) should be cleaned with disinfectant wipes. It reduces the chances of your children contracting any bugs.
If you haven’t already gotten maps of your destination pre-travel, you can ask for some. Looking at a map of the place helps you and the kids to familiarize yourselves with the place. What’s more, it’s something the kids will enjoy and you all can plan each day together.
NB: As often as possible get a travel companion. It can be your spouse, a responsible teenager, or another trusted adult who’d appreciate a break. You’ll find it easier to keep the children safe when you have a partner.
Vacation safety tips by children’s age
In order to make this post as comprehensive as possible, we’ll take an age-by-age approach to vacation safety for children.
Tips for keeping babies and toddlers safe on vacations
There are a lot of things to consider when you have babies and toddlers on vacation. Some of them include:
- Sleeping safety. When it’s time to sleep, the little ones should be able to do so without fear of falling off beds. Some hotels provide cribs for babies; ask for a crib when you’re pre-booking your accommodations. Traveling with your own travel crib is a good idea. You may find that the crib provided isn’t as safe as you’d like it to be. Moreover, travel cribs provide safe sleeping surfaces for your baby when you’re out and about.
- Car safety – it’s a good idea to bring your child a safety seat on vacation. Most car rentals may not have the right kind of seat for your child. More so, ride-hailing services do not require their drivers to have them. Another added advantage of bringing your car seat along is that with it, your baby can travel safely on the plane. Thankfully, there are lots of car seats that can be used in both cars and planes on the market.
- Safety leashes. We know this child safety tool didn’t get the most welcoming of receptions when it was first introduced but all that is changing. Many parents have come to appreciate safety leashes for their effectiveness in keeping younger kids from running off. For greater functionality, consider safety leashes that come with a backpack. They come with extra storage space. Another type of safety leash that’s gaining popularity with parents is the anti-lost wrist link.
- ID Bracelets – these will contain information like your child’s name, date of birth, and your phone number. It’s a great way to get help for your younger kids if they ever get separated from you in busy spots. Another product like this is safety tattoos for kids. You can peel them off their packs and stick them on your child’s skin with the relevant information on them.
Tips for keeping older kids safe on vacations and field trips
Having older children on vacations and field trips presents a different set of challenges. You have to teach them how to behave in different situations so that they know what to do if anything goes wrong. The following tips should help:
- Have them memorize important information like their full names, your name, and phone number.
- Teach them that if they ever get lost or separated from you, they should meet a staff of the place. It’s okay to meet another mum or dad and ask for help.
- As soon as you arrive anywhere, point out the help desk and staff of the place to your kids. Tell them to ask for help from those people if they get in trouble or are unable to get separated from you.
- Teach them not to go with anyone that isn’t their parent or travel companion, and to yell if anyone tries to forcefully take them away. There’s a high probability that such as situation will not happen but it pays to be prepared. You can check out our post on preventing kidnapping for more on this.
- If you’re on a safari or visiting someplace with animal attractions be sure to educate children on the need to respect the rules put in place. They shouldn’t feed or pet the animals if there is a warning against that; they shouldn’t go too close to their enclosures either.
- If your hotel has a pool or you’re visiting a beach or lake, ensure your children are on life vests or any other flotation devices. It’s also a good idea for them to wear flip-flops to protect their feet from sharp objects that may be laying around. See our article on swimming safety for teens
- You can take advantage of tech by investing in tracking devices. They come in different designs so you’ll find them as smart watches and tiles.
For teenagers
With this set of kids, you’ll be less hands-on but more trusting and delegating. It’s expected that they’ve already shed most of the innocence and naivety of childhood which makes them less likely to get into unsafe situations. However, you still need to educate them about the peculiarities of the location and any safety instructions they’ll have to adhere to. Ensure that they understand the importance of personal safety, especially in the unfamiliar territory that vacations present. You also have to make sure that they’re obeying all the common sense safety rules, like using seat belts in cars and paying attention to their environment.
Employ the buddy system to keep kids safe on vacations and field trips
This is particularly helpful if you have a large group of kids. To give the buddy system higher chances of working, you have to first gather everyone in one place and give them a safety talk – you can even call it a safety briefing. This is where you agree on meeting points in the case of emergencies and emphasize the importance of adhering to the rules of the establishment. You can also run through the places you’ll be visiting and the activities you’ll be taking part in.
Then you organize them into pairs or groups of three (depending on the size of your flock). Charge them responsibility for each other. If you have a group with a mix of older and younger children, pair the younger children with the older kids. Ensure you’re all always within sight of each other as you go about enjoying your day.
Pack a first-aid kit
Before your trip, find out about important vaccinations for you and your kids from your doctor or a travel health doctor. It’s important you start this process weeks in advance as some of the shots take weeks to complete. Now if you’re really thinking about how to keep kids safe on vacations, this is a really important step. Some countries have diseases that are not common in the US but may pose a serious health risk to you and your children if you aren’t vaccinated for them. After that, ensure make that you have all medications for ongoing treatments and allergies. Pack some medicine for fever and stomach flu for yourself and the kids as well. You can ask your doctor for recommendations. Also include some band-aid, disinfectant wipes, sanitizers, and antiseptic. If you’d like to save some time and get everything at once, consider an all-purpose first aid kit.