The 15th of August is National Back to School Prep Day… and depending on how old your kids are – and whether they’re your kids or kids that you’re teaching – your prep probably still needs a plan so you don’t forget anything!

One thing that might not be top of mind when you’re thinking about pens, pencils, and shower caddies for the dorm bathroom is safety items like helmets. Younger kids might need some help getting on the school bus, and older kids might need to think about their safety if they’re riding bikes or walking to school. In the classroom, there are a few things to watch out for as well.

Getting to school

Before kids are in the classroom, they need to make it to school safely.

• School bus

As a driver, remember that the yellow light on the bus means it’s about to stop, and the red light means you have to stop and wait behind the bus because kids are getting on or off. If there’s no median in the road, then you have to stop when you’re coming the opposite direction at the bus’s red light too.

Make sure your kids play it SAFE when waiting for the bus:

Stay 5 steps away from the curb

Always wait for the bus to stop completely and the driver tells you it’s OK to board

Face the front when you’re seated

Exit only after the bus is stopped and look both ways (left-right-left) if you have to cross the street

• Biking

Keep a lid on it! As an adult, you need to wear your helmet too when on your bike to model good behavior for your kids.

Ride WITH traffic (that means on the right side of the road) and in the bike lane if there is one. Kids (and adults) need to put the phone away until they get to their destination.

• Walking

Whenever possible, use a sidewalk. If they have to walk in the road, they need to FACE traffic, which means being on the left side of the road. That way drivers can more easily see that there are pedestrians and will be more careful. 

Use crosswalks to cross the street. Put phones away, and don’t push others into or play in the road.

In the classroom

Kids face preventable dangers that people often don’t think about. Like the damage that comes from sitting too long in one place, for example. 

• Working on folding tables

Many teachers use folding tables for hands-on learning, or for other activities that can get their kids up and moving. But depending on how old the kids are, the tables might be too low to work at comfortably. 

That’s where you might need a set of folding table risers so the kids don’t have to bend down or strain their necks to work. (Click here to check out a variety of available folding table risers.)

• Avoiding slips, trips, and falls

Kids don’t always pay a lot of attention to where they’re going, so keeping all the pathways clear of anything they can trip or slip on is key. The classroom should also have bright enough light that they can easily see potential obstacles.

Make sure no one is trying to reach something by standing on a desk or a chair – that’s a prescription for a potentially dangerous fall.

• Moving heavy things

Don’t let kids or staff lug around heavy objects, like computers or TVs and audio-visual equipment. Use carts to move them instead. Or ask the maintenance staff to help.

• Computers

If the kids will be in front of computers for long periods, make sure that they’re ergonomically set up so the kids don’t have to strain to see the monitor or use the keyboard or mouse. 

Also make sure that kids don’t spend hours staring at the screen – it’s bad for the eyes. They need to look away at least every twenty minutes. Having some physical activity at these intervals can be great for their bodies too.

Does your (or your child’s) classroom need to lift up the surface of a folding table so the kids can work comfortably? Check out the full line of folding table risers at our online store.

Lift Your TableⓇ… SAVE YOUR BACK!