Safety At Play

A child sliding down a playground slide.

A parent and child fastening their bike helmets before going for a ride.

Bike and Wheeled Sports Safety

Make sure the bike fits: straddling the top bar of the bike so that both feet are flat on the ground. There should be 1-3 inches of space between you and the top bar. Make sure your seat, handlebars, and wheels are tight. Check brakes, chains and tires regularly to make sure they're in good repair.
Wear appropriate clothing for protection and to be seen by others. Wear bright clothes and put reflectors on your bike. Make sure nothing can get caught in your chain like long or untied shoelaces, loose pants, or backpack straps. Protect your toes and feet by wearing closed toe shoes. Never ride barefoot.
Ride safely, obeying traffic laws. Always ride with your hands on the handlebars. When riding with friends, ride single-file. Use bike lanes, bike routes, or sidewalks when available. Stop and check for traffic in both directions when leaving your driveway, an alley, or a curb. Also, stop at all stop signs and obey traffic lights and signals just like cars do and walk your bike across busy intersections. When passing other bikers or walkers, always pass on the left side and call out “on your left!” so they know you are coming.
Wear a helmet certified by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Helmets should be used when you are on anything with wheels: scooters, skateboards, even roller skates! Make sure the helmet fits by taking the helmet fit test.

Helmet Fit Test

Image of a child wearing a helmet that fits properly, positioned two finger-widths above the eyebrows.

Eyes

When the helmet is on your head, you should be able to see the rim of the helmet when you look up. That’s one or two finger-widths above your eyebrows.

Ears

After you buckle them, the helmet straps should form a snug “V” around your ears.

Image of a child with the helmet strap snugly fastened under the chin.

Mouth

When your mouth is open all the way, the straps should touch your chin, nice and snug.

Image of a child riding a scooter on pavement, wearing a properly fitted helmet, with grass visible in the background.

Helmets Aren't Just for Bikes

Scooters have one of the highest injury rates of any toy, so wearing a helmet on anything with wheels is important! Be a positive example – adults need helmets too.

Replace helmets after a fall or after 4 years of use.

Playground Safety

All parents want their kids to have the opportunity to learn and grow in a safe environment. Playground falls are one of the leading causes of emergency department visits for kids. Thankfully, keeping kids safe doesn’t have to mean keeping them inside. There are lots of ways parents, teachers, and caregivers can ensure kids are staying active, safe and learning. Remember, active supervision is always the best defense! A few key tips can help make outside play areas as safe as possible.

Playground falls are a common cause of injury, and most are because of landing surfaces. Look for playgrounds that have wood chips, shredded rubber, or pea gravel under swings and monkey bars.
Be careful of what kids are wearing as they play. Drawstrings or loose clothing can get caught and strangle a child, so remove them before play.
Big kids and little kids play differently. Be careful of lifting kids up to areas they can’t reach, as those items weren’t designed for their developmental stage.
Be aware of the dangers around slides. Metal slides can get very hot in the sunshine, so be careful of bare legs to avoid burns. Never let a child ride down a slide between an adult’s legs, as their legs can get caught underneath the adult. Catch them at the bottom and enjoy seeing their happy face!
Always make sure playground structures are maintained, without peeling paint, missing screws, or sharp edges. If you see anything that looks broken, contact the site staff, whether it's a school, municipality, or park authority.

Winter Sports

The opportunity to do fun activities outside is one of the best things about living in Michigan. Ensuring those activities don’t end in someone getting hurt is even better. Follow these tips to stay safe on the ice, slopes, or sledding hill!

Tens of thousands of kids are injured every year while sledding. When looking for a good hill to hit on your saucer, make sure it isn’t too steep, there are no trees, that the snow isn’t icy, and that the bottom of the hill is far from roads or driveways.
Teach children to roll off a sled if it is going too fast or heading toward something unsafe.
Steerable sleds are best to avoid other riders, trees, and streets.
Helmets on sledding hills are recommended. It can be really difficult to guarantee no one will collide, especially on a popular hill. Protecting that brain is always first priority!
Make sure your child’s equipment fits properly. Skis or snowboards that are too big or too small make someone more likely to fall or crash into someone or something.
Never let kids ski or snowboard alone. Most ski hill injuries happen when someone loses control. This most often happens when someone goes beyond their skills. Parents can help make sure kids stay in control.
Even experienced skiers or snowboarders should wear helmets. (This means you too, Mom and Dad!) Make sure the helmet fits the right way and is designed for winter sports - bike helmets won’t provide adequate protection. Replace a helmet after 5 years of use or a significant blow.
Be aware of muscle fatigue and symptoms of frostbite or hypothermia. A couple of hours on the slopes means it’s time for soup and hot chocolate, giving everyone and their fingertips time to warm up.