Home

Winter Sports & Exercise

General Tips for Safety
Links for More Information

General skiing, skating, sledding and snowboarding safety tips (not intended to be a complete list -- see links below for more):

	Get the right gear for the activity. Don't buy equipment that's too old or too big for your child, or that's broken or damaged in some way.
	Always stay in control of your equipment and yourself. It is not cool to put the lives of others at risk. Young children should sled feet first, not head first. Don't allow too many people to pile on. Make sure the hill, piece of mountain or ice ahead of you and around you is clear of sudden drops, trees, people, buildings and other obstacles. Don't ever allow a child to ride a sled down a hill onto a pond, a river, a rocky area, or a road -- even if you're sure it's safe.
	If you're going where no one has gone before, first learn how to do it properly. Then, do it that way.
	If you crash into someone ahead of you, you are responsible. People ahead of you have the right of way. Remember that others are just learning, and they make mistakes. Ski defensively by giving others a wide berth.
	If you have to stop, don't stop in a high traffic area or where oncoming skiers or skaters cannot see you. Whenever starting again after stopping, look behind you and/or above you to make sure you aren't about to cut someone off.
	Use the safety equipment that's been painstakingly made for you. Use the mechanisms that keep your equipment from sailing away from you. Wear helmets and/or hats, gloves and pads. If skiing in a remote area, find out how to do it properly first (then, do it that way). Drink lots of water. Wear sunglasses and sunscreen when outside for long periods of time. Don't wear earphones that keep you from hearing others.
	Follow instructions from people who run the facility. Obey all signs. Don't go where you've been told not to go. Don't do what you've been told not to do. Learn how to use your equipment. Learn how to do the activity properly. Show others even more courtesy than you want them to show to you.

Go To Top

For More Information:

	MayoClinic.com - staying fit and motivated during the winter (has suggestions and safety tips)
	MayoClinic.com - more on exercising outdoors in the winter
	Ice Fishing Home - for information and safety tips on ice fishing
	National SAFE KIDS Campaign - tips for winter safety.
	Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh - sobering statistics on skiing and snowboarding injuries, and tips for preventing them
	Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh - tips on how to sled safely (parents)
	MayoClinic.com - protect your wrists while snowboarding
	Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh - suggestions for hockey safety
	National Ski Areas Association - tips on snowboarding and skiing safety
	Avalanche.Org - for information, resources and maps
	American College of Sports Medicine

Go To Top

Home

Advertisements

Feedback

Advocacy

Donations

Safer Child, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with federal tax-exempt status. Please note: 1) External organizations listed herein do not necessarily endorse Safer Child positions, nor do we necessarily endorse theirs. We list them as a courtesy and aren't responsible for their accuracy, completeness or content. 2) We recommend you maintain a healthy skepticism when reviewing information on the Internet; it might appear to be reliable -- yet actually be false, misleading, incomplete, out-of-date and/or intentionally harmful. 3) There might be material on the Internet that you disagree with or find objectionable; preview all sites before viewing them with your child. 4) We are not responsible for external addresses/phone numbers changing without our knowledge. 5) The information and commentary on this site are not substitutes for professional advice from your doctor, lawyer, or mental health professional. 6) Requests for permission to republish, copy and/or distribute any material found on this Web site should be directed to Safer Child, Inc.

This Web site is supported by donated services from SISNA of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho,

and has received a grant from the Wendell P. & Barbara J. Marshall Family Trust in the Idaho Community Foundation.

Safer Child is also supported by Time4Learning.com, online education from preschool through middle school,
and LockSAF, makers of a storage device that keeps valuables safe through the use of fingerprinting technology.