Accident Hot Spots: Child aged 5+

From the age of five, children are absorbing a lot more detailed and specific information but they are also able to put it into a context and make logical links about the implications of what they do and how they do it.

You will probably also be able to take some reassurance from the fact that they will remember what you discuss with them and act on it (though this is not a reason not to supervise wherever and when ever possible).

Kids Out and About

Your child will also be starting school now and all sorts of safety and security messages will be reinforced here, especially the big ones like road safety, the danger of strangers etc. But they will also be feeling much more grown up and eager to flex their newly independent muscles.

Falls and cuts still account for many accidents at age five and up as children become more adventurous and make full use of their surroundings whether in the home or out and about. If your children are just starting to go further afield to play when you are outside (on bicycles perhaps), make sure you accompany them in the first instance to let them know what is safe and what is not. And if you can't be with them in the case of older children, make sure they tell you where they are going and what time they will be back.

With their physical growth and ability comes invention! While you may know the real way to use certain play equipment, indoor or out, their imaginations will allow them to invent many different ways to use it, not always safely. If at a playground, try and make sure that play areas have an impact absorbing rubber pellet or bark covered floor, rather than concrete.

Also, ensure you keep an eye on outside games that involve digging, whether it is soil or sand, as these dugouts can collapse and suffocate.

Walking and Cycling to School

On the roads, school may well be reinforcing what you have already begun to tell them about cars and how to cross the road but again, excitement can get in the way of that so make sure you help them cross the road wherever and whenever possible.

Your child may be walking or cycling to school by themselves now - make sure they have light coloured and preferably reflective clothing to make them as visible as possible.

Similarly with bikes; they may be offered a cycling proficiency test at school but that is not a substitute for adult supervision and provision of all the necessary safety equipment for them and their bike - most importantly a helmet.

Older children from about 8 upwards will be able to start using their own risk assessment abilities in potentially dangerous situations and you can foster this by asking them what they think the consequences of their actions will be.

In cars, all children need to be strapped in at all times with a car seat or booster seat, dependent on their age or weight. New guidelines are now in force on this so make sure you check them out. See our Out and About section for more information.

Creative Play in the House

In the house, make sure children continue to use caution on stairs and that cooking and creative play involving scissors is still supervised while they experiment and learn. Older children are also more likely to climb and move furniture in order to do so which means windows, ledges and glass panels in doors should be made safe.

Older children are also more likely to want to imitate adult behaviour and as such, you need to keep on locking matches and lighters away as these are simple to use (a child can easily light both) but the consequences unimaginable to a child. It doesn't need to be a full fire to kill - many children die each year from smoke and fumes inhalation (see our article on fire safety here).

Poisonous Substances

Similarly, alcohol can have a huge curiosity factor now and can in fact be poisonous to children in large quantities so make sure it is locked away. This becomes less urgent for hazardous substances (cleaning chemicals, medicines etc) as the safety messages tend to have hit home now about these but it is still a good precaution to have these locked away, just in case.

Electricity and Water

Children are also now more likely to want to use the cooker, kettle, iron or maybe run their own bath when they get to ten or so, but it is still important to supervise these activities until the child has some experience under their belt and has been shown the right and wrong way to do things as far as possible.

If you set a good example, this is what the children will imitate so make sure that you yourself know about basic safety around the home as well as outside.

In terms of playing in water, older children are more likely to be confident in the water and know their limitations if they have had swimming lessons - but this may all go out of the window if playing with friends. Diving, ducking and swimming in open water (rivers, canals, the sea, gravel pits) are all dangerous but often the most exciting things about being in or near water so adult supervision is also required.

This stage of development can be confusing for a parent - from the age of 5 your child becomes more articulate and appears to be able to grasp complex messages and learn quickly at school. But this can be misleading as children tend to lose concentration when playing or excited and these are the times when accidents occur.