BURRILLVILLE – Christmas Day is behind us and we all know what that means; toys everywhere!
Toys here, toys there, toys on the floor and toys on the stairs. It might look like an obstacle course in your house and apartment right. That is fully understandable when you have a child or children living under your roof and just enjoyed another Christmas with the family.
It might seem irrelevant and something not to worry about, but kids leaving their toys strewn around the house or apartment is a hazard and could cause someone harm if you are not vigilant about having your kids put their toys away after playing with them. It is very easy to unknowingly step on, or fall over, a toy left unattended in your home or apartment, especially if the rooms and hallways are darker at night, and visibility is reduced in those walking areas. Night lights placed in outlets in those darker areas are very helpful when it comes to seeing where you are going at night. You also want to make sure that kids are not leaving their toys on stairways. It’s very dangerous and could lead to unintended falls and injuries in the home.
This week’s Sunday Cartoon feature is a great way you can remind your child or children that they should always put away their toys after playing with them. The Fearless Dino Protector Squad and FDPS Fire Chief want kids to play it safe, and always remember to put their toys away in a safe place. Toy boxes, closets and even under the bed are great places to keep toys safely away from everyone’s feet and help prevent falls and injuries.
I used to push my toys under my bed when I was a kid, but that had two purposes. My parents always told me to put my toys away so they wouldn’t trip over them and break their necks, and I knew the Boogie Man couldn’t fit under my bed with all of my toys stuffed under me when I was asleep at night. It works!
Make copies and talk to your kids while coloring in these safety cartoons about keeping themselves and family members safer by putting away their toys after playing with them. School is out for winter break this week for the holidays and this would be a great time to go back to other previous weekly Sunday Safety features and print out copies while engaging in conversations about safety with your children. Kids love to color and utilizing these coloring cartoons as a creative vehicle to help remind them all about their safety benefits you and your family all yearlong. Grab boxes of crayons and colored markers and have some fun with your kids while they are learning how to be safer in their daily lives.
Jim Weicherding is a Burrillville resident, and the founder and creator of an award-winning traffic safety effort Seasons of Safety. Weicherding contributes kids’ coloring cartoons, which can be printed and used to help parents discuss safety issues with their children. He has a long list of police officers and firefighters in his family and has worked with law enforcement and firefighters in a creative public safety capacity for more than two decades. Jim was also appointed to Children Across America as their events and creative director for their child safety programs initiatives and outreach kids safety campaigns nationwide.
