Safety Tip No. 1: Actively supervise

What to do:
Closely watch and engage toddlers. Redirect them to ensure safe learning opportunities. Caregivers use the six active supervision strategies with toddlers at all times:

• Set up the environment
• Position staff
• Scan and count
• Listen
• Anticipate children's behavior
• Engage and redirect

Why it works:
Toddlers are curious; and with their increasing mobility, they are eager to try new things. They have a hard time waiting and controlling their behavior. Many will climb, run, and jump without caution. They do not understand the concept of "personal space" and often are not able to judge distances appropriately. Caregivers use active supervision strategies to observe their behavior and anticipate and redirect them when necessary to make sure that their play is safe.

Safety Tip No. 2: Create safe environments

What to do:
Set up indoor and outdoor spaces in a way that allows toddlers to stay safe. Securing furniture so it cannot tip over or provide access to restricted areas or unsafe items protects children from injury. Arrange furniture so that staff have a clear line of vision and can actively supervise toddlers at all times. Refer to Placement of Equipment and Furnishings from Caring for Our Children from the National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education (CFOC) for additional information. Create centers or zones for specific purposes, like reading, science, cozy areas, and floor play, away from areas designated for active play. Ensure there is enough space around bookshelves to allow a toddler to take items on and off shelves and play with them. Use safety locks and gates.

Outside, use playground equipment and surfacing that are appropriate for toddlers. See page seven of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) Public Playground Safety Handbook for details.

Why it works:
Toddlers will climb or jump over whatever is in their way to get to something they want. Anchoring furniture prevents injuries. To practice their motor skills, toddlers need to be able to climb, walk, run, and jump safely. Designating specific areas within the classroom for different kinds of play, such as gross motor activity, allows toddlers to practice their motor skills without injuring other children. Furniture that is waist high allows caregivers to see and hear everything that is happening in a room, whether they are sitting or standing. In addition, caregivers actively supervise children to ensure that toddlers use play spaces safely, especially if the group includes young and/or mobile infants.

Outdoor play spaces for toddlers have play structures that are appropriate for their size and developing skills. These structures are lower to the ground and have wider, more moderate steps than preschool play structures; they also have gradual inclines to ensure that toddlers can run, jump, and climb safely.

Safety Tip No. 3: Maintain safe environments

What to do:
Before every use, conduct safety inspections on indoor and outdoor environments and remove any hazards. Make sure cabinet locks are working and all outlets have covers.

Why it works:
Toddlers are eager to try new things all of the time. Young toddlers still may put things in their mouths. Cabinet locks and outlet covers prevent access to unsafe objects. When caregivers use a safety checklist to perform safety checks on indoor and outdoor environments, they are able to identify possible hazards and remove or repair any objects that could injure a toddler.

Safety Tip No. 4: Store and lock poisonous products

What to do:
Place cleaning products, medications, classroom materials, and other toxic products in locked cabinets out of toddlers' reach. Store staff coats, purses, and bags in closets or outside the classroom.

Why it works:
Toddlers can climb and access objects that were once out of reach. Toddlers who find a bottle of chemicals or medication are likely to try to taste it. These actions could poison the child. Storing all poisons in a locked area and keeping personal belongings out of reach protect children from injury.

Safety Tip No. 1: Stay "hands on" and engaged

What to do:
To prevent falls, keep a hand on toddlers at all times when they are on a raised surface, such as a changing table. Engaging active toddlers in reciprocal play such as singing, rhyming, and echoing verbalizations keeps them safe and provides learning opportunities. For toddlers that are not yet toilet training, provide safe ways for them to climb onto or off of changing tables.

Why it works:
During diapering, toddlers may try to climb on or off of the changing table, so staying hands on prevents injuries. Teaching toddlers how to safely climb onto or off of a changing table supports their independence. In addition, providing a positive, engaging activity during diapering fosters a nurturing relationship, creates learning opportunities, and prevents injuries by focusing a child's attention during diapering.

Safety Tip No. 2: Store diapering supplies safely

What to do:
Keep topical medications for rashes and skin conditions and diapering ointments within easy reach of the caregiver but away from a child's grasp. Remove children before disinfecting diapering areas after each use to prevent exposing them to the chemicals in these products. Follow state licensing regulations when storing the disinfecting solution.

Why it works:
With a toddler's growing curiosity and greater reach, thoughtful placement of disinfectants, medications, and ointments is necessary. Toddlers will look for and want to touch any materials that are within their grasp. Many of the items close to the diaper-changing area—spray bottles, disinfectant wipes, medications, ointments, or other materials containing toxic ingredients—can burn or poison a child who has contact with them. These products are not safe for toddler exploration.

Safety Tip No. 1: Check Food Temperatures

What to do:
Serve food that is lukewarm or cool after is it properly cooked. Suggestions for safe preparation and serving of food are available from Food Safety in Child Care.

Why it works:
Toddlers' mouths are particularly sensitive to temperature, and burns may affect what and how much a toddler is willing to eat. Additionally, most toddlers grow their canine teeth and molars from 16–33 months.¹ When these new teeth come in, toddlers may have particularly sensitive mouths and experience more pain from food that is too hot. Foods that have been properly prepared to a safe temperature and then cooled quickly will be easier for toddlers to eat and will prevent any possible food-borne illness.

Safety Tip No. 2: Choose age-appropriate foods

What to do:
Choose culturally responsive foods and cut them into small pieces (cubes no larger than one-half inch) to prevent choking. Avoid all high-risk foods. These include small, slippery foods, dry foods that are hard to chew or sticky, and tough foods.

Why it works:
A toddler's throat is small and can be easily obstructed. Toddlers are still learning how to coordinate their mouths to fully chew and swallow food. They also grow teeth at varying rates and may not be able to chew or break down certain foods. Therefore, it is safest to feed toddlers foods that they can easily break apart and swallow whole.

Safety Tip No. 3: Position children for safe eating

What to do:
Toddlers sit in tables and chairs that are appropriate for their age and size.

Why it works:
Furniture that is low to the ground minimizes the risk of injury from falls.

Safety Tip No. 4: Teach toddlers how to eat safely

What to do:
Teach toddlers how to feed themselves, including how to use a child-sized fork, spoon, and cup safely. Observe children closely to make sure they do not put too much food into their mouths at once.

Why it works:
Toddlers are becoming more independent and can feed themselves using child-sized cups, spoons, and forks with blunt points. Caregivers observe children to make sure their behavior does not result in a choking hazard. For more information regarding self-feeding, read Encouraging Self-Feeding by Older Infants and Toddlers.

¹Eruption Charts. (n.d.). Retrieved from the American Dental Association website: https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/e/eruption-charts.

Safety Tip No. 1: Use safe cribs (for younger toddlers)

What to do:
Programs use the new U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) federal safety regulations to protect children from injury, suffocation, or strangulation in a crib. Drop-side cribs do not meet current safety regulations. Programs are not permitted to use them. The guidelines from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) ensure that toddlers are not at risk of injury or strangulation in a crib. Drop-side cribs do not meet current safety regulations. Programs must replace them. If young toddlers are trying to climb from the crib, evaluate their readiness for a cot.

Why it works:
Toddlers are more likely to try to climb from a crib, particularly as they get closer to age 2. Therefore, cribs should only be used when a toddler is not able to climb out and fall.

Safety Tip No. 2: Offer child appropriate sleeping furniture (for older toddlers)

What to do:
Provide toddlers with washable cots that are not far from or on the floor when they are old enough to climb out of the crib.

Why it works:
When toddlers begin sleeping on a cot, they may not be used to sleeping in the middle and could fall to the floor. If cots are close to the ground, toddlers will not get hurt if they fall. Cots and bedding need to be washable to maintain a healthy sleep environment. Refer to CFOC's Sleeping Equipment and Supplies for details.

Safety Tip No. 1: Use equipment and materials that are safe for toddlers and have no small parts

What to do:
Use equipment and materials that are appropriate for toddlers. Place heavy items on bottom shelves and lighter items up high. State child care licensing websites and child care resource and referral centers may have lists of these specifications by state. Regularly monitor the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's website for recalls. Subscribe to receive alerts: http://www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/Subscribe/.

Place any object that is small enough to fit into a toddler's mouth out of reach. This includes small toys such as marbles, balloons, small balls, and coins, as well as parts of toys that may break off—buttons on a teddy bear.² If the object will pass through the small-parts cylinder used for screening choking hazards for children younger than 3 years, it is too small for play.

For more information, see ASTM toy test equipment small parts cylinder [PDF, 31KB] and Which Toy for Which Child: A Consumer's Guide for Selecting Suitable Toys [PDF, 1.2MB].

Why it works:
Toddlers continue to use all of their senses to learn about objects in their environment. They will pick up objects and may put them into their mouths. They need equipment and materials designed to keep them safe as they explore their environments, reducing the likelihood of injury. Placing heavier items on lower shelving reduces the risk of injury from a dropped toy.

Safety Tip No. 2: Instruct toddlers in the safe use of materials and equipment

What to do:
Teach toddlers how to use materials and equipment appropriately. Examples include, "crayons are for coloring" and "paint brushes are for painting."

Why it works:
Toddlers begin to use more equipment and materials for projects and play. They learn by watching and will copy the behavior of children and caregivers. By offering clear rules and demonstrating how to use materials and equipment, caregivers encourage toddlers to engage in activities safely.

²U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. (2004, September). CPSC Warns Parents about Choking Hazards to Young Children. Retrieved from https://www.cpsc.gov/safety-education/safety-guides/kids-and-babies/choking-hazards.

Safety Tip No. 1: Instruct toddlers in the safe use of outdoor materials and equipment

What to do:
Teach toddlers how to use balls, sand tables, and other outdoor equipment safely. This includes using appropriate helmets and safety gear when riding tricycles, scooters, big wheels, and other riding toys.

Why it works:
Toddlers begin to use more equipment and materials for outdoor play. By providing clear instructions and rules for how to use them, caregivers make it possible for toddlers to engage safely in new kinds of activities. Getting toddlers into the habit of wearing helmets, pads, and other protective gear when they use riding toys will reduce the likelihood of injury from falls, particularly the incidence of head injury.

Safety Tip No. 2: Teach toddlers pedestrian safety techniques

What to do:
Offer basic instruction about walking on sidewalks and crossing streets, like holding hands and following directions. Additional tips, lessons, and teaching strategies can be found at http://www.safekids.org/safety-basics/little-kids/on-the-way/pedestrian-safety.html.

Why it works:
Toddlers are beginning to explore the world outside their homes and classrooms. They have opportunities to walk to the neighborhood park, school, or other community locations. It may be hard for drivers and cyclists to see them, so toddlers need to understand pedestrian safety and learn how to follow rules to avoid risks that could place them in danger.