Water Safety Tips

Everything you need to know to keep your kids safe around water.

Never leave your child unattended around water. Babies can drown in as little as one inch of water.

Watch kids when they are in or around water, without being distracted. Keep young children within arm’s reach of an adult.

Empty buckets, containers and kiddie pools immediately after use. Store them upside down so they don’t collect water.

Watch kids when they are in or around water, without being distracted. Keep young children within arm’s reach of an adult. Make sure older children swim with a partner every time.

When children are swimming and there are several adults present, make sure kids are actively supervised at all times by choosing a Water Watcher. A Water Watcher is a responsible adult who agrees to watch the kids in the water without distractions and wear a Water Watcher card. After a certain amount of time (such as 15-minutes), the Water Watcher card is passed to another adult, who is responsible for the active supervision. Download a Water Watcher card here.

Install fences around home pools. A pool fence should surround all sides of the pool and be at least four feet tall with self-closing and self-latching gates.

Teach children how to swim. Every child is different, so enroll children in swim lessons when they are ready. Consider their age, development and how often they are around water.

Make sure kids learn how to swim and develop these five water survival skills: 1: step or jump into water over their heads and return to the surface;
2: float or tread water for one minute;
3: turn around in a full circle and find an exit
4: swim 25 yards to exit the water; and
5: exit the water. If in a pool, be able to exit without using the ladder.

Know what to do in an emergency. Learning CPR and basic water rescue skills may help you save a child’s life.