Keep the following rules in mind when you take the kids out for the day to the beach or on some countryside adventure or trip to the park.

1. Always take a first aid kit to deal with cuts bruises and stings.
2. A whistle is a really good idea to have with you. This can be the signal everyone needs to come back to you immediately.
3. Have a “Buddy”.  Remember Toy Story and the “Moving Buddys”.  Each person teams up with another and is responsible for making sure they are together. We did this on a holiday to the Florida Theme Parks (We had theme park buddies – and it worked really well).
4. Agree on a central meeting place where you can all gather together.
5. Never ever let your children play unsupervised around water – even if they can swim.
6. Remind the children not to talk to strangers.
7. Don’t let a group of children become too widely dispersed.  You will have the devils own job rounding them all up – and counting them in.
8. Don’t allow small children to use sharp tools unsupervised.
9. Tell the children never to eat wild foods unless they are with a knowledgeable adult who has told them it is safe to do so.
10. Hands should always be washed after playing outside.
11. If playing on a beach or in a local park to and never throw stones or hard balls near other people.
12. Always take your litter home –and especially anything sharp.  Our daughter was really badly cut on the beach by a bit of old BBQ metal she fell on in the sand dunes.