TIGERS

Circle Ten Council

Safety in the Sun/ Fun in the Water

There are some really good ideas here for Family Water Safety.  Don’t skip this section just because you don’t have a Tiger!!  CD

Family Activity

Remember to SLIP, SLOP, SLAP and WRAP!

SLIP on a shirt. SLOP on sunscreen. SLAP on a hat. WRAP on sunglasses

As a family where ever you choose to go for water fun. Discuss the rules for each of those locations. From -  www.redcross.org

BEACH SAFETY

Protect your skin: Sunlight contains two kinds of UV rays -- UVA increases the risk of skin cancer, skin aging, and other skin diseases. UVB causes sunburn and can lead to skin cancer. Limit the amount of direct sunlight you receive between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. and wear a sunscreen with a sun protection factor containing a high rating such as 15.

Drink plenty of water regularly and often even if you do not feel thirsty. Your body needs water to keep cool. Avoid drinks with alcohol or caffeine in them. They can make you feel good briefly but make the heat's effects on your body worse. This is especially true with beer, which dehydrates the body.

Watch for signs of heat stroke: Heat stroke is life threatening. The victim's temperature control system, which produces sweating to cool the body, stops working. The body temperature can rise so high that brain damage and death may result if the body is not cooled quickly. Signals include hot, red, and dry skin; changes in consciousness, rapid, weak pulse, and rapid, shallow breathing. Call 9-1-1 or your local EMS number. Move the person to a cooler place. Quickly cool the body by wrapping wet sheets around the body and fan it. If you have ice packs or cold packs, place them on each of the victim's wrists and ankles, in the armpits and on the neck to cool the large blood vessels. Watch for signals of breathing problems and make sure the airway is clear. Keep the person lying down.

Wear eye protection: Sunglasses are like sunscreen for your eyes and protect against damage that can occur from UV rays. Be sure to wear sunglasses with labels that indicate that they absorb at least 90 percent of UV sunlight.

Wear foot protection: Many times, people's feet can get burned from the sand or cut from glass in the sand.

HOME POOLS

Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in and around the water is to learn to swim--this includes adults and children. The American Red Cross has swimming courses for people of any age and swimming ability. To enroll in a course to learn or improve your ability to swim, contact your local Red Cross chapter.

Never leave a child unobserved around water. Your eyes must be on the child at all times. Adult supervision is recommended.

Install a phone by the pool or keep a cordless phone nearby so that you can call 9-1-1 in an emergency.

Learn Red Cross CPR and insist that babysitters, grandparents, and others who care for your child know CPR.

Post CPR instructions and 9-1-1 or your local emergency number in the pool area.

Enclose the pool completely with a self-locking, self-closing fence with vertical bars. Openings in the fence should be no more than four inches wide. If the house is part of the barrier, the doors leading from the house to the pool should remain locked and be protected with an alarm that produces sounds when the door is unexpectedly opened.

Never leave furniture near the fence that would enable a child to climb over the fence.

Always keep basic lifesaving equipment by the pool and know how to use it. Pole, rope, and personal flotation devices (PFDs) are recommended.

Keep toys away from the pool when it is not in use. Toys can attract young children into the pool.

Pool covers should always be completely removed prior to pool use.

To learn more about home pool safety, you can purchase the video.  It Only Takes a Minute from your local Red Cross chapter.

If a child is missing, check the pool first. Go to the edge of the pool and scan the entire pool, bottom, and surface, as well as the surrounding pool area.

SAFETY IN, ON AND AROUND THE WATER

Maintain constant supervision. Watch children around any water environment (pool, stream, lake, tub, toilet, and bucket of water), no matter what skills your child has acquired and no matter how shallow the water.

Don't rely on substitutes. The use of flotation devices and inflatable toys cannot replace parental supervision. Such devices could suddenly shift position, lose air, or slip out from underneath, leaving the child in a dangerous situation.

Enroll children in a water safety course or Learn to Swim program. Your decision to provide your child with an early aquatic experience is a gift that will have infinite rewards. These courses encourage safe practices. You can also purchase a Community Water Safety manual at your local Red Cross.

Parents should take a CPR course. Knowing these skills can be important around the water and you will expand your capabilities in providing care for your child. You can contact your local Red Cross to enroll in a CPR for Infants and Child course.

LAKES AND RIVERS

Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in and around the water is to learn to swim--this includes adults and children. The American Red Cross has swimming courses for people of any age and swimming ability. To enroll in swim course, contact your local Red Cross chapter.

Select a supervised area. A trained lifeguard who can help in an emergency is the best safety factor. Even good swimmers can have an unexpected medical emergency in the water. Never swim alone.

Select an area that is clean and well maintained. A clean bathhouse, clean restrooms, and a litter-free environment show the management’s concern for your health and safety.

Select an area that has good water quality and safe natural conditions. Murky water, hidden underwater objects, unexpected drop-offs, and aquatic plant life are hazards. Water pollution can cause health problems for swimmers. Strong tides, big waves, and currents can turn an event that began as fun into a tragedy.

Make sure the water is deep enough before entering headfirst. Too many swimmers are seriously injured every year by entering headfirst into water that is too shallow. A feet first entry is much safer than diving.

Be sure rafts and docks are in good condition. A well-run open-water facility maintains its rafts and docks in good condition, with no loose boards or exposed nails. Never swim under a raft or dock. Always look before jumping off a dock or raft to be sure no one is in the way.

Avoid drainage ditches and arroyos. Drainage ditches and arroyos for water run-off are not good places for swimming or playing in the water. After heavy rains, they can quickly change into raging rivers that can easily take a human life. Even the strongest swimmers are no match for the power of the water. Fast water and debris in the current make ditches and arroyos very dangerous.

OCEAN SAFETY

Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in and around the water is to learn to swim--this includes adults and children. The American Red Cross has swimming courses for people of any age and swimming ability. Contact your local Red Cross chapter for information on courses.

Stay within the designated swimming area, ideally within the visibility of a lifeguard.

Never swim alone.

Check the surf conditions before you enter the water. Check to see if a warning flag is up or check with a lifeguard for water conditions, beach conditions, or any potential hazards.

Stay away from piers, pilings, and diving platforms when in the water.

Keep a lookout for aquatic life. Water plants and animals may be dangerous. Avoid patches of plants. Leave animals alone.

Make sure you always have enough energy to swim back to shore.

Don’t try to swim against a current if caught in one. Swim gradually out of the current, by swimming across it.

WATER PARKS

Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in and around the water is to learn to swim--this includes adults and children. The American Red Cross has swimming courses for people of any age and swimming ability. To enroll in a swim course, contact your local Red Cross chapter.

Be sure the area is well supervised by lifeguards before you or others in your group enter the water.

Read all posted signs. Follow the rules and directions given by lifeguards. Ask questions if you are not sure about a correct procedure.

When you go from one attraction to another, note that the water depth may be different and that the attraction should be used in a different way.

Before you start down a water slide, get in the correct position -- face up and feet first.

Some facilities provide life jackets at no charge. If you cannot swim, wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket. Check others in your group as well.

Den Activity

BUCKET BRIGADE RELAY - Play outdoors.  Divide den into two teams.  Give each team two pails, one filled with water and one empty.  Place the empty bucket some distance from each team.  On signal, the first player in each team carries the full pail to the empty one and pours the water into it, and then returns to the next person in line with the full pail.  The next boy repeats the same actions, and so on until all have carried the water.  This is not a speed contest.  The winning team is the one that has the most water in one pail when all the members have finished.

GO FISH - Trace six to ten fish on construction paper and cut out.   Attach a paper clip to the top of each fish.  Draw eyes, mouth, and fins with a marker.  Tie a magnet to a 15-foot length of string.  Tie the other end of the string to a stick.  Place the fish in a box.   (An old fish tank is even more fun.) To make the game harder, put the fish in a metal coffee can (the magnet sticks to the sides and the fish drop off).  See how many fish you can catch by having the magnet catch on the fish paper clips.  Whoever catches the most fish in a given time limit wins.

EEL RACE - Choose teams of four.  Everyone gets down on hands and knees and the teams line up behind their leader.  The second member grasps the leader by his ankles, and the player behind him grabs hold of his ankles, etc.  When the starting signal is given the eel's race across the room, turn around and return to the starting point without breaking the hand and ankle hold.

STEAL THE TURTLE - Play in Waist deep water. Divide boys into two equal teams that line up facing each other 20 feet apart. Each team member is given a number. A leader tosses a large rubber ball in the middle of the play area and calls out a number. The opposing players with that number race for the ball. The player who gets it and returns to his place without being tagged by the opposing player scores one point. When both boys are back at their places, the leader calls out another number. For a real scramble, call all numbers at once.

IN THE SEA - Arrange partners around in a circle. Have the leader, call out "in the sea" when this is done all players are to jump into the circle. When he calls "on the beach" all player then jump back out of the circle. Anyone making a mistake is out of the game. The last player is the winner.

GRAB THE FISH TAIL - Boys and their partners line up in a single file, holding each other around the waist. The first boy is the fish's head; the last person is the tail. When all are ready the leader says, "Go." The head tries to catch the tail. The tail tries to avoid being caught. The boys must keep hold on each other. The longer you can make this fish, the more fun you will have!

Go See It

Go to a water park                    Go to a pool

Visit a Lake                         Visit a fish farm