Summer camp has turned into one of the most versatile, fun and at the same time educative activities children are interested in year after year. Whether it’s the nature walks, the chance to sleep in a tent and hear ghost stories, eat marshmallows by the camp fire, or learn nature survival tricks or develop their creativity and handy skills, kids do love their summer camp. And as parents, it is your job to make sure they get to the places they enjoy most each summer, and safely return home. Before you start packing your small one child off to summer camp, here are a few critical safety tips you should keep in mind.

Have Your Child Go Through A Full Medical Consult Before Camp

This is a requirement in accordance to the American Academy of Pediatrics which states that all children going to camp should:

• have had a complete medical exam a physician in the past year prior to camp;
• be up-to-date on all shots;
• camp leaders must be handed a complete file containing all the known allergies, as well as the complete medical history of the children attending their camp, including information on current or past illnesses, surgeries, injuries, and anything else health-related.

Summer Camp Safety Versus Home Safety

While it is your duty as a parent to maintain the integrity of your small one at all times while under your supervision, it falls under the responsibility of the camp nurse or medical persons on-site to handle all of the potentially rising health problems of your children. At home, you can take care of your child and prevent unfortunate incidents from occurring by installing padlocks on your kitchen and bathroom cabinets containing potentially dangerous substances such as pesticides, toxic chemicals and medicines.

• Fixing all the locks inside your home, having them rekeyed whenever you suspect an authorized person might have gained access to the keys, or installing surveillance camera security systems are just a few of the additional protection measures you are advised to take at home.
• Also, when riding your car with a child on board, make sure you have them riding in the back seat, wearing their seatbelt at all times and respect the legal speed. Make sure you lock the doors when driving- not few are the cases of people being assaulted in their cars at stop signs. Get in touch with a car locksmith and have him check your locks in case you notice them getting stuck; fix your jammed ignition as well and prevent having your car key get stuck when you are about to start the engine or pull the key out after having parked the car.
• If the summer camp your child will attend features a horseback riding course, and you know your kid is allergic to horses, personally make sure the camp supervisor has Epi-pens and Benadryl on them. Make sure the camp has CPR certified instructors and life jackets in your kids will be swimming.