Safety For Toddlers will be hosting a tabletop at the Greenhurst Elementary School’s 2nd Annual Wellness Fair. Included are several local community groups and businesses that focus on nutrition, physical fitness, health, safety and literacy. This is for the school’s students and their families.

The event takes place Oct. 12 at 6 p.m. at Greenhurst Elementary School. The address is 701 Discovery Place, Nampa ID 83686.

Kolcraft is voluntarily recalling about 425,000 infant play yards. The play yards have a raised changing table attachment with a restraint strap that forms a loop beneath the changing table, posing a strangulation hazard to a child placed in the play yard without first removing the changing table.

Visit their site for more information.

Thank you to everyone who came out to our booth at the 15th Annual St. Luke’s Women’s Fitness Celebration. We received a ton of entries and have randomly chosen a winner for our $150 Safety For Toddlers Gift Certificate. Please congratulate Beth F. of Boise, ID.

Give The Gift Of Safety — In Time For The Holidays
Safety For Toddlers Gift Certificates make great gifts for parents, grandparents and any caregivers you know.

Be sure to check back for future promotions and events.

About 1 million Simplicity and Graco cribs have been recalled after three children became entrapped and suffocated. This article appeared in the Sept. 22 issue of the Idaho Statesman.

Douglas Metzgar will be speaking to the members of the MOMs Club of Meridian.

This is a members-only event. For more information about the organization or how you can attend the event, visit their site.

Visit our booth at the Finish Line Party. While you’re there, enter our drawing to win a $150 Safety For Toddlers Gift Certificate.

Details:
Ann Morrison ParkSaturday, September 22, 2007 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

For more information, visit the Women’s Fitness Celebration web site.

Halloween’s a great time of year for kids – costumes, tasty treats, pumpkin carving, and fun activities for the kids. Around the Treasure Valley, it also means cool autumn weather (my favorite season). You’ve likely read safety tips geared towards older kids from sources like the Red Cross, your local paramedics or hospital, or commercial sites like Better Homes And Gardens.

Halloween Tips
What about keeping our little ones safe during Halloween? Based on my personal experience, and after sifting through various sources, I listed some tips for you with a focus on babies and toddlers.

• Consider fire safety when decorating. Do not overload electrical outlets with holiday lighting or special effects, and do not block exit doors.
• Always keep Jack O’ Lanterns and hot electric lamps far away from drapes, decorations, flammable materials or areas where children and pets will be standing or walking.
• Plan ahead to use only battery powered lanterns or chemical lightsticks in place of candles in decorations and costumes.
• While stocking up on batteries, this is also a great time to buy fresh batteries for your home smoke alarms.
• Plan costumes that are bright and reflective.
• While children can help with the fun of designing a Jack O’ Lantern, leave the carving to adults. It’s best to let the kids clean out the pumpkin and draw a face on it, which you can carve for them.
• Confine, segregate or otherwise prepare household pets for an evening of frightful sights and sounds.
• Small, hard pieces of candy are a choking hazard for young children.
• Our babies are cute in their costumes and we like to show them off at Halloween parties. Remember to be responsible drivers – designate a driver if alcoholic beverages are served. And make sure your little explorer doesn’t get into your host’s liquor cabinet or punch.

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza or Festivus, we’ll post more information on winter holiday safety at the end of the month.

In the meantime, what other safety tips can you recommend for babies and toddlers during Halloween?