Your children love amusement parks, don’t they? Sure they do! However, you may not always be thrilled when they insist you to take them to such parks and allow them to take various adrenalin-pumping rides.
Amusement parks are essentially developed for kids so that they can enjoy various types of fun-filled activities and rides within one large area. In fact, amusement parks are one of the best recreational places because they provide visitors with a wide array of outdoor activities, rides, and opportunities to meet with friends and classmates. It is definitely a better place to be compared to a couch, in front of a television set, in a dark room.
But as a parent, you may have safety concerns for your children who love visiting amusement parks every now and then. An increasing spate of accidents is highlighting the importance of safety in amusement parks. As per a 2013 study of hospital data over a 20-year period (from 1990 to 2010) on average, 12 children each day are treated for amusement ride-related injuries in the United States alone.
So you need to be very careful to ensure the safety of their children. Do not let your child become a statistic!
So here are the safety tips …
1. Comply with park rules: As a parent you need to comply with all the age, weight, height, and health restrictions. Make sure you obey all posted signs and ride safety rules as well as adhere to all verbal instructions given by recorded announcements, ride operators or any other park employees.
2. Ensure that your children can understand and obey the employee-stated appropriate and safety rules: After complying with the park rules yourself, you must also ensure that your children understand and obey the rules. Communicate all the ride appropriate rules to your children even if they say that they know those beforehand. Also make them familiar to all the safe places in the park such as the information kiosk, lost and found booth, security kiosk so that they can go there in case they lose sight of you.
3. Monitor your kids all the time: Being with your children is not enough, you need to keep an hawk eye on them till the time they are in the park. Make sure they hang around the areas meant for children and public and stay off from restricted areas that are meant for employees and staff. Hanging around in those areas is extremely dangerous and can attract punitive actions.
4. Feed them right and light and keep them hydrated: Make sure your children have had nutritious and light meals before going to the park as this will keep them energetic and will not make them feel giddy or sluggish. Encourage them to drink sufficient water so that they stay hydrated and active.
5. Choose age-appropriate rides for your children: Make sure your children comply with the minimum age requirements for various types of rides. Also, you need to make sure that your children meet the minimum height and weight requirements for the rides. These restrictions have been imposed keeping in mind the resilience and resistance of an average child vis-à-vis his/her age, height, and weight.
6. Suit up your children suitably: Although there is no dress code in amusement parks, you must ensure that your children are dressed in well fitting clothing and the girls have their long hair braided and jewelry left at home. Before your children take a ride, tell them to keep their small belongings such as candies, loose change, keys, etc, inside their buttoned or zipped pockets.
7. Buckle up your children properly: Before the ride begins you will need to check the safety gears and ensure that your children are properly strapped. Tell your children not to protrude any of their body parts during the ride and remain seated in proper position.
8. Take breaks between rides: It is essential to listen to your body and take short breaks between rides. In case you feel giddy, light headed, nauseated, or simply tired find a cool and shady location to take a break for a while. You can visit a souvenir shop or play a carnival game while taking breaks between your rides.
Information shared by LearnPick