You've saved money and planned for months. You've checked into which amusement parks offer the most attractions that would interest your family. You've anticipated this trip with almost as much excitement as your children. Finally, it's time for your big day at the amusement park. But, before you head into your big day of family fun, make sure you and your children have done everything you can to make this vacation as safe for your children as possible.
An amusement park offers so many new, interesting, and exciting things for children, that they can easily become distracted and wander away. Even the most well behaved child may stop to look at something, and in the blink of an eye, be lost in a crowd of strangers. There is no worse feeling in the world than being separated from your child, and an amusement park offers so many opportunities for that to happen. Before you ever leave your hotel, have a plan in place for what to do in the event that you and your child are separated from each other.
As you are getting dressed on the morning of your trip, make sure you have your child's identification card or a recent photo with you. As scary and ominous as it will feel to include this item in your wallet, in the event of an emergency, it will be imperative that you have it with you. Take careful notice of what each of your children is wearing that day. Consider writing this information down, and bringing it with you as well. Also, write down the name, phone number, and room number of your hotel, if you are staying in one. You will want the authorities to be able to contact you easily if your child is not found right away.
As your children get dressed, make sure they have their name, your name, your cell phone number, and any other important identifying information with them. Since children's pockets have a way of emptying themselves, you might pin this information inside their pocket, or the tag of their shirt, or even write it on masking tape and tape it inside their waistband. Consider a small luggage tag style identification card safety pinned inside your child's clothes somewhere. This way, when your child asks for help, the officer or amusement park employee will immediately know who they have with them, and who to look for. Having your cell phone number, or the number of a relative who has agreed to serve as "home base" in an emergency, will allow you and your child to be reunited quickly.
As tempting as it may be to allow your children to wear clothes with their names on them, such as sports jerseys, save these favorite items for another day. Someone noticing your child's name on his shirt could then call him by name. This will give the stranger a bit of credibility with your child, or let him call your child's name in a crowd, drawing his attention away from you. Someone who approaches your child and says, "Hey, Jimmy. Your mom said for you to meet her over there around the corner," may be believeable to a young child who assumes that knowing his name must mean knowing you.
As soon as you arrive at the park, discuss a meeting place with your children, in the event that you do become separated. Select someplace that is easily located, and also easy to remember. Consider someplace tall or colorful that can be seen from the majority of the park. Allowing your children to help you select the meeting place will cause excited children to be more likely to remember your conversation. Also, take this opportunity to point out the name tags and uniforms of the park employees. Often, uniforms are simply khaki shorts and a polo shirt, which children might not recognize as clothing that would identify employees. Point out that these are the people they should turn to in an emergency, and that if they can't find you, go to the nearest park employee for help. Instruct them to stay with that employee until you find them.
And, never allow your children out of your sight for any reason, obviously. Do not send them into restrooms alone. Do not allow them to go on rides alone. Do not allow them to purchase snacks from vendors that you can not see. Literally thousands and thousands of people will be visiting the amusement park the same day as you. All of these people are strangers, no matter how friendly the environment itself is. Keep your children with you. Many amusement parks now offer family restrooms, where you are able to "go" together. Take advantage of these, even if it means having to walk a little farther out of your way to get to them. If your child wants to ride on an attraction that you do not want to go on, you will be allowed to accompany him to through the line, and stay with him until he actually buckles in. Then, you will be directed to the end of the ride to pick him up. Inform him that you will be waiting, and not to leave the exit without you. Should he, for any reason, reach the end of the ride before you, he should stay with the employee stationed at the end of the ride. There will almost always be someone there to assist guests exiting the attraction, and this area is sure to be monitored by video surveillance.
Another way to ensure your child's safety at an amusement park is to carefully read and follow all safety guidelines at each attraction. Height limits, weight limits, age limits, and any other health or safety warnings posted should be followed, no matter how trivial they may seem. A child who is "almost" tall enough is still not tall enough for the park to be comfortable guaranteeing their safety. Instead, point out other rides that your children can all enjoy together.
Since you will probably be spending a great portion of your day outside, and you and your children will be very active, make sure that your child has enough to drink. Bottled water will be available throughout the park, and water fountains will be easily accessible. If you don't want to purchase water continually, keep the empty bottle and refill it at the water fountains. Vendors and restaurants at many theme parks will give you a cup of ice water if you ask. Most attractions will allow you to carry a bottle of water with a lid, however cups will probably have to be thrown away prior to entering indoor activities. Staying hydrated is important, and your children will need to drink extra, especially in the warm weather. Heat stroke and heat exhaustion come on quickly, and often without your realizing it. Sodas and other caffeinated drinks can actually cause dehydration, so encourage plenty of water or juice as well. Freezing juice boxes or pouches ahead of time will offer a less expensive alternative to purchasing drinks throughout the day. They will thaw and be slushy in a short time, although carrying them can be inconvenient if your children are no longer in a stroller with a convenient place for storage.
Also, remember to apply sunscreen and encourage your children to wear a hat. Small children, especially, burn very quickly, and you may be surprised at how much sun your family will get at the amusement park. It may seem that the majority of your day is being spent inside, but pink shoulders and noses will let you know how much time you have spent outside, often after it is too late. If you forget sunscreen, it will probably be available in some of the gift shops, or at the first aid or emergency station. You will also be able to find band aids, pain reliever, infant formula, diapers, and other "emergency" items in the first aid stations at many amusement parks as well.
Knowing that you and your family have prepared for the worst-case scenario will help you have a safe and enjoyable visit to the amusement park. It is sure to be a day that you and your children will remember for years to come.
