Unfortunately, from swimming and boating to hiking and camping, summer can also present a number of safety hazards. To help ensure your family has a safe and happy summer, we’ve collected safety tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 1. Water safetyDrowning is responsible for more deaths among children ages 1-4 than any other cause except birth defects. To help prevent drowning and similar accidents, be sure to:Always supervise children when in or around water. A responsible adult should constantly watch young children. Teach kids to swim. Formal swimming lessons can protect young children from drowning. Learn CPR. CPR skills could save someone’s life. Install a four-sided fence around home pools and be sure to always keep gates to pool areas closed and locked. Teach children never to enter the pool area without an adult. When riding in a boat or other water craft, always wear a properly fitted life jacket. Be sure both you and your child wear life jackets- being a role model is important. 2. Beat the heat. Heat-related illness occurs when the body’s temperature control system is overloaded. Those at greatest risk for heat-related illness include infants and children up to 4 years of age. To prevent heat-related illness:NEVER leave infants, children, or pets in a parked car, even if the windows are cracked open. Dress infants and children in loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing. Schedule outdoor activities carefully, for morning and evening hours when the sun is not as strong. Monitor your children closely when playing outdoors and encourage them to stay hydrated. Stay cool with cool showers or baths. Seek medical care immediate if your child has symptoms of heat-related illness. And don’t forget to protect against too much sun exposure, too. Even a somewhat cloudy day can expose children to harmful ultraviolet rays. To protect against sunburn: 3. Protect against insects. Ticks, mosquitos and other insects are out in full force during the summer, and can carry some nasty diseases, like West Nile virus and Lyme disease. Protect against insect bites by:Keep these and other safety tips in mind throughout the summer to ensure this remains a summer to remember! We can't wait to hear about your adventures when you return to school in September!