A Note for Parents
Watch Your Children Carefully Around Amusement Rides
Amusement rides can be used safely, but they can also expose young children to serious dangers. It's your job to protect your own kids from those hazards by choosing suitable rides, riding along until they're old enough to protect themselves, and teaching them how ride safely.
Parents and children should explore these printable activities together. Teach your children about amusement ride safety in the same patient, repetitive way you teach them about traffic safety, water safety, etc. Take extra care to protect younger children around any machinery, including amusement rides.
- Learn the rules and concepts with your children. Think of each visit to an amusement park or carnival as part of the learning experience.
- Have your kids help you set safety ground rules for your family before you arrive at an amusement park or carnival. Set consequences for unsafe behavior and always follow through. Reward good behavior too. You might offer to stay at the park an extra hour if your kids follow the safety rules all day.
- Pay attention to your child's behavior as the day wears on. Amusement parks and carnivals can easily overstimulate kids (and adults). If your kids get hyper or tired or aren't listening to you, take a break.
- S-L-O-W down. That's probably the best advice. Don't rush from ride to ride. Enjoy every moment. Find games to play while you wait in line. Talk to your kids. Remember why you wanted to take your family to the carnival in the first place. This is your quality time!
Don't forget that thrill rides are powerful machines - even the tamer-looking "kiddie rides" - and your child is just a child. At the end of the day it's not going to matter whether you rode every ride at the park, but it does matter very much whether your preschooler can stay seated and keep her whole body inside each ride until the end.
Good luck and safe riding!