Paddling pool safety: 5 tips to keep your children safe in the garden this summer

Summer is finally here and many across the country are starting to enjoy warmer weather and longer days. The May half term break will mean many will be looking at ways to keep their children entertained, including a cheap way to entertain them in your own garden.

Paddling pools are a great way to keep children in the great outdoors with a fun activity to keep them entertained for hours. However, what can seem like a fun activity could have devastating consequences.

According to Lois Lee, an emergency-medicine specialist at Boston Children’s Hospital, young children can drown silently in as little as 25 seconds, even in a shallow pool. Durann Letter, who founded Water Watchers at Phoenix Children’s Hospital after her son Weston drowned, aged three, said “most children drown because their parents turn their head for just a second or have no idea that their child is even near the pool.”

Although splashing around in a paddling pool is a great way to keep your children cool, even two centimetres  of water can pose a deadly risk to a child, warns the Royal Life Saving Society. Here’s five top tips to keep your children safe in a paddling pool this summer:

Five paddling pool safety tips

Never leave children unattended

Children of any age should not be left unsupervised when playing in a paddling pool. Drowning can be silent so it’s important to ensure your eyes are always on the children that are in the water.

Ensure that you are focused on the children and not distracted with items such as your phone or a book, as drowning can happen in under 30 seconds. It’s also important to ensure that you are alert and not inebriated by alcohol.

Remain as close to the pool as possible as drowning can happen quickly and you might have to react fast to scoop a child from the water.

Know how to react in an emergency

Learning first aid and CPR for all ages can help prevent a serious injury or death from drowning. The Royal Life Saving Society offers a free online course called Lifesafer that is designed for families to learn what to do if someone is drowning.