Plan to select an overall theme for your baby safety shower. This How-to Kit is developed around the theme of keeping your baby safe at home. Integral to this program is the Baby Safety Checklist (see the next page), which presents 12 tips for keeping babies safe in the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and other living areas.
While this is critical information for every new parent, you may want to include additional health and safety themes. Choosing quality child care, selecting safe toys and nursery equipment, ensuring immunizations and proper nutrition for infants and toddlers -- all of these would work.
If you invite a small group, focus on one theme. If your group is larger and you have the space, consider broadening the scope. Bring in other partners to work with you. For example, get the health department or local hospital to offer an immunization clinic. Ask a local supermarket to sponsor a nutrition booth -- with appropriate games and prizes.
Pick your theme early, so you can better plan your program and activities. Coordinate your work with all involved, so that everyone knows what to do to make each activity successful.
The following four pages are masters for handouts. They can be removed from the kit (at the perforations) and photocopied so that each of your shower guests can have one. We recommend that the Checklist be printed on one side (English) (Spanish) and The Reasons Behind the Checklist on the reverse side of 8½" x 11" paper. (English) (Spanish)
Games and other fun activities are an effective way to teach and reinforce safety and health messages. The games included here focus on the theme of keeping your baby safe at home.
These games are based on the safety messages found in the Baby Safety Checklist. There is one suggested game for each area of the home: bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and other living areas.
Below is a brief description of each game.
Adapt these games to your needs or develop new ones. Be sure you have more than enough materials for every participant to play each game.
o For the bedroom:Can You Answer This? The game leader asks each team questions. The team that answers the most questions correctly wins the round.
o For the bathroom:Safety Sayings. Each team calls out letters that spell a safety message. The team that first guesses the safety message wins.
o For the kitchen:Picture Safety. One person on each team draws an image based on the Baby Safety Checklist. The team that first identifies the image and tells why it's important wins the round.
o For other living areas:Safety Bingo. Each guest marks an answer to each question asked on her bingo card. The winner is the first to mark three answers in a row and call out "bingo!"
If you only have time for one game, play Safety Bingo -- it includes safety tips from each area of the home, it's easy, and it's fun!
o Before playing this game, review the relevant bedroom Baby Safety Checklist tips and reasons with shower participants.
o Decide whether your guests can peek at the Checklist for the answers during the game. Award points for other common-sense answers not included in the Checklist.
o After each game, review the Checklist again.
Flip chart or blackboard, markers for scoring.
Participants are split into two teams. The moderator asks Team A for three answers to each game question. For each correct answer, Team A gets one point. If Team A is stumped, Team B gets a chance to answer. The moderator then asks Team B one game question -- and so on.
When the four game questions are answered, the moderator simultaneously asks each team a bonus round question. The team that first answers the question correctly wins.
Q: Can you name three things that describe an unsafe crib?
A: (1) missing hardware (2) not sturdy (3) loose hardware Also correct: mattress that doesn't fit snugly; corner posts; decorative cutouts in head or foot boards; crib slats that are too far apart
Q: What are the three possible safe or unsafe sleep positions for your baby in a crib?
A: (1) back (safe) (2) side (less safe) (3) stomach (unsafe)
Q: Can you name three examples of soft bedding?
A: (1) pillows (2) soft, fluffy comforters (3) quilts Also correct: sheepskin
Q: Can you name three things you should never place near a window with blind or curtain cords?
A:(1) crib (2) playpen (3) highchair Also correct: other children's furniture
Q: Can you name three small objects that are choking hazards for children under three years of age?
A:Accept answers like: buttons, balloons, marbles and foods like grapes, peanuts, hard candy, cut-up hot dogs
Q: What are three safety concerns to look for in and on your child's toy box or toy chest?
A: Accept answers like: toys with sharp edges or points; toys that are too small; toys with detachable small parts; hinged-lid toy boxes without safety-lid supports
Q: What are three common hazards found on children's clothing?
A: Accept answers like: loose buttons, drawstrings, loose snaps, small decorations that detach
o Before playing this game, review the relevant bathroom Baby Safety Checklist tips and reasons with shower participants.
o Decide whether your guests can peek at the Checklist for the answers during the game.
o After each game, review the Checklist again.
Flip chart or blackboard, markers.
Participants are split into two teams. On the flip chart, draw the number of blank lines (similar to the game of hangman) corresponding to the number of letters and spaces in the safety saying. Each team in turn guesses a letter to go in the spaces; correct letters are written in the appropriate blank(s). To make the game go more quickly, you may want to fill in the vowels beforehand. When one team thinks it knows the saying, it calls out the answer. The team correctly guessing the most safety sayings wins.
o Keep baby safe
o Use child-safety caps
o Keep medicines locked up
o Babies and water don't mix
o Never leave children alone in water
o Check bath water with wrist or elbow
o Before playing this game, review the relevant kitchen Baby Safety Checklist tips and reasons with shower participants.
o Decide whether your guests can peek at the Checklist for the answers during the game.
o After each game, review the Checklist again.
Two flip charts, markers, 3" x 5" cards (for safety clues).
Participants are split into two teams. The teams sit or stand facing each other. The flip charts are positioned back to back between the teams. The moderator selects a safety clue card and shows it to one person from each team. When the moderator says "go," each person draws a picture of the safety clue on her team's flip chart. The first team to guess the picture wins 5 points. The team can win 5 more points if it correctly describes how the clue is safety-related. The team with the most points wins.
Cabinet safety latch: Prevents children from getting into cabinets where harmful household products are kept.
Dish detergents:Can be harmful if children swallow them.
Highchair with safety straps: Prevents children from climbing or falling out and getting injured.
Pots and pans on stoves: Can burn children if they reach handles and spill hot liquid or food on themselves.
Knives: Can injure children if they reach them and cut themselves.
Plastic trash bags: Can cause children to suffocate if the bags get over their noses and mouths.
Matches: Can burn and start fires.
o Before playing this game, review the relevant Baby Safety Checklist tips and reasons, as well as the clues on the bingo cards, with your shower guests.
o Let your guests peek at the Checklist for the answers during the game.
o After each game, review the Checklist again.
bingo game cards (see the attachments section) and several "chips," buttons, small colored stick-ons, or similar item for each participant.
This game is similar to bingo. Each participant is given a game card with pictures in each box. The moderator reads a safety clue aloud, and each participant covers the appropriate picture box on her bingo card. The winners are those who first correctly cover all the boxes on their cards in a row across, down, or diagonally and call out "bingo." This game can be played many times, with the questions read in different order.
Q: One of these should be on every level of the home for protection from fires.
A: Smoke detector.
Q: One of these will prevent children from falling down stairs.
A: Safety gate.
Q: Stops children from poking fingers and inserting objects into electrical outlets.
A: Safety plugs.
Q: This round game part is a choking hazard to young children who put things in their
mouths.
A: Small toy ball and jacks set.
Q: If burst or uninflated, these can be a choking hazard to young children.
A: Balloons.
Q: These may look like candy to small children. Keep in container with safety cap.
A: Medicine pills in bottles with safety caps.
Q: This is the best position for babies to sleep.
A: On their back.
Q: Stops children from opening cabinet or cupboard doors where cleaning products or medicines are stored.
A: Cabinet lock.
Q: In a smoke detector, this should be changed every year.
A: Battery.
GO TO PART THREE: Putting Your Shower Together
GO TO THE TABLE OF CONTENTS
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission protects the public from the
unreasonable risk of injury or death from 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's
jurisdiction.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury and for information on
CPSC's fax-on-demand service, call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter
at (800) 638-8270.
Consumers can also report product hazards via electronic mail by sending a message to
info@cpsc.gov.
Comments: info@cpsc.gov
Revised: May 5, 1996
URL: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/shower/showerp2.html
