Five Summer Activities an ER Pediatrician Won’t Let Their Kids Do

It's officially summer, which means the weather is warmer, the days are longer and parents are dealing with big schedule changes. It's a favorite season for many children, and for good reason — along with a much-needed break from school, the summer provides plenty of opportunities for fun.

The season also presents unique risks to children's health and safety, according to experts. Whether kids are enjoying the summer at home, going on vacations or heading to camp, it's important to ensure they are having fun safely.

We spoke to pediatric emergency medicine physicians about some of the top reasons why children end up in the ER during summer, risky activities they wouldn't let their own children do and how parents can ensure their kids stay safe all summer long.

Play With Fireworks

When asked about this nostalgic summer activity, the experts unanimously agreed that fireworks should be left to the professionals and enjoyed from a safe distance. That means no home fireworks, even the legal ones.

Every summer, children come into the emergency room with injuries related to fireworks — unsurprisingly, these tend to spike around the Fourth of July, Dr. Brent Kaziny, medical director of emergency management at Texas Children’s Hospital, tells TODAY.com.

These range from minor to third-degree burns, severe injuries to the face or eyes, and even losing fingers or hands, says Kaziny. In 2021, there were nine deaths in the U.S. due to fireworks, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Fortunately, most of these injuries can be prevented by not setting off fireworks at home, the experts note. If parents still want to take that risk, Kaziny emphasizes that children should never be allowed to touch or light any of the fireworks, including sparklers.

"Parents need to recognize that sparklers can get up to temperatures of over 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. It's essentially like a welding torch type of heat," says Kaziny. He recommends safer alternatives like glow sticks, especially for young children.

“Fireworks can be such a fun part of celebrating summer holidays, but it’s really not worth a devastating lifelong injury for your child,” Dr. Caitlin Farrell, a pediatric emergency medicine physician at Boston Children’s Hospital and injury prevention researcher at Harvard Medical School, tells TODAY.com.

Go In or Around Home Pools Unsupervised

Swimming pools are one of the joys of summer, but also one of the biggest dangers for kids, the experts say. Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 in the United States, and most of these drownings occur in home swimming pools, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Drownings and submersion injuries often happen quickly and quietly, Dr. Meghan Martin, a pediatric emergency medicine physician at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, tells TODAY.com. Because of this, she says kids should never be left in or around a swimming pool unsupervised. “Avoid stepping away, even for just a second, because that’s when it all happens,” says Martin.

Always make sure there is a designated "water-watcher" supervising kids in the pool, says Farrell, especially when young kids or toddlers are in the water. Parents should also teach children about pool safety as early as possible so they know not to get in the water when adults aren’t around and how to get out, Farrell adds.

Ideally, Farrell says home swimming pools should have a four-sided pool fence that self-locks or self-latches and is at least four feet tall.

"There is no hack for safety when it comes to kids around water; it's making sure you have your full attention on the kids and then early swim lessons," says Martin.