6 Tips To Ensure Your Child's Safety During Field Trips

Published 13 July 2021 at 21:30

Tickikids Blog Dubai >  After-School Activities >  6 Tips To Ensure Your Child's Safety During Field Trips

When children hear the word ‘field trip’, it automatically makes them feel excited and euphoric. For them, having a field trip is their chance to finally get out from the four walls of their classroom and have some time outdoors with their friends, classmates, and schoolmates.

Another thing children look forward to about a field trip is that it involves travelling to different educational places they may not have visited before. Some of these may include the zoo, safari, animal shelter, sanctuary, a local farm, and more.

As much as field trip produces much excitement for children, it can also be a greater worry for parents like you. During a field trip, your child will be outside the school borders for the whole day while being accompanied by one teacher and one bus driver.

It may be worrisome for your part to know your child is out there, exploring different places without your supervision. Plus, you may be worried as well about how your child behaves when outdoors.

Thankfully, there are ways in which you can ensure your child’s safety during field trips without having to compromise your time from work. With a detailed plan and some smart steps, you can assure that your child will enjoy this new type of learning while staying safe and sound.

How To Make Your Child Safe

Here are tips to help you keep your children safe while they’re exploring and away:

Read The No-Objection Form Thoroughly

Days before the field trip, the school usually issues a no-objection form for parents stating you’re permitting your child to participate in the said trip. Before you stamp your signature in agreement, take your time to read the details such as the date, time, and places where they’ll visit. If you’re unfamiliar with the places, search them individually on the internet and see if each site follows child safety protocols.

It’s also important to know the teacher’s name who will accompany them during the entire trip. As parents, you have every right to ask for extra details and any special requirements your child may need. Don’t hesitate to write down your child’s allergies, travel sickness, or fainting spells.

Suppose you’re uncomfortable with having only one teacher supervising twenty to thirty pupils. In that case, you can ask for consent from the school if you’re allowed to have another guardian personally watch over your child during the trip. If they give you consent, you can hire a professional child caretaker from Loloschildcare.com and other child care services or call a personal babysitter if you have one.

Tell Your Child About Their Itinerary

Another tip to ensure your child’s safety is by telling your child some important details about the places they’ll be visiting. For example, if your child is scheduled to visit the zoo, tell them about what they’re expected to see there, such as wild animals and insects.

Take this as an opportunity to remind them not to put their hand inside the animal’s cages or avoid poking their finger on any animal, no matter how friendly they may look.

These little details will help your child to be prepared in advance. Moreover, you can also secure your child some hats, sunglasses, sunscreens, jackets, and some healthy snacks (especially if there are no available food stores on every place they visit).

Keep Your Child Hydrated

It’s common for children to forget about rehydrating themselves, especially when they’re in the middle of getting excited and so engrossed at the moment. Dehydration in children can be very dangerous for their safety as it can cause paleness, fatigue, dryness in the mouth, and sometimes headaches.

To keep your child hydrated, fill your child’s snack box with healthy snacks and beverages such as a bottle of water, fresh juices, and some sliced fruits. Remind your child always to drink water or juice whenever they feel exhausted after a long walk or hike from the trip. This way, you need not worry about your child having to search for a shop nearby.

Pack Your Child With First-Aid Kit

While it’s true that your child’s teacher may have prepared a first-aid kit for any emergencies, there’s nothing wrong if you also opt to have your child bring their own first-aid kit. You can customize your child’s first-aid kit according to their personal needs, especially if your child constantly experiences travel sickness or allergies when exposed to certain situations.

Fill your child’s own first-aid kit with materials like pain relief sprays, adhesive bandages, cotton balls, alcohol, face masks, and medication for cough, fever, etc. Children are prone to minor injuries even if they don’t mean to get hurt, such as getting tripped by a stone or on the pavement. This first-aid kit will take care of your child’s minor injuries in case of a minor fall or tumble.

Let Your Child Know What To Do In Case Of Group Separation

As much as you don’t ever want your child to get separated during the field trip, it’s still important to discuss this possibility with your child. Give them clear instructions on what to do in case they accidentally get separated from the group. In most cases, the teacher will tell all students about a specific meeting point at every destination.

Encourage your child to write down even a brief description of the meeting point as their reference if they’ll forget. Additionally, you can also let your child bring a copy of your calling card and always have it in their bag so that your child can present your calling card to authority in case of emergency, and they’ll be the one to dial you up.

Most importantly, teach your child to never panic in case of getting lost or separated. When your child is calm and collected in scenarios like this, the higher chances they can think clearly about the following steps to do in case of emergency.

Educate Your Child About Safety Precautions

Lastly, it’s imperative for parents to educate their children about safety precautions in general. Tell your child about the possible dangers and threats they may face during the field trip and how they should properly overcome them.

Always remind your child to stay away from random people and strangers, and to never accept any form of gifts or food from them. Most importantly, remind your child to always stay within the group or near the teacher’s sight at all times.

Final Thoughts

Travelling on a field trip is an exhilarating experience for children as it allows them to leave school for a while and explore new places they’ve never been to. Field trips are another way to educate children while at the same time entertain them. It’s normal for parents like you to worry about their safety and welfare during these trips.

So, lessen your worries by keeping these tips in mind to ensure your child’s safety in every field trip they join. And remember that combining fun and learning is an effective way to upskill your child.