Water Safety

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Don’t forget that staying "Safe at Home" includes first aid and water safety, too! Drowning is a leading cause of death in children, but is totally preventable by things like learning how to swim, how to respond to emergencies, and overall learning how to behave safely in and around water. Explore the free resources and fun activities listed below, and remember, water safety actually begins at home!

Fun Activities for Kids

American Red Cross - Water Safety for Kids
Resources to help your child learn about water safety while having fun in and around water. Meet Longfellow! His WHALE Tales are short, engaging and age-appropriate videos that teach important water safety topics. Each episode centers on a memorable rhyming phrase to help children retain what they've learned. Longfellow the Whale helps kids learn to "Do your part, be water smart!"

Josh the Otter - Water Safety with Josh and Friends
The Josh the Otter Program offers free resources and activities that kids can do at home to further their water safety education and instill in them Josh’s key message: To stay away from water unless accompanied by an adult. Begin their easy to follow Water Safety 101 course by reading Josh The Baby Otter then take the easy Water Safety Quiz and wrap up the lesson with fun coloring pages, word finds and even make a Josh The Otter puppet!

Pool Safely - Kids Corner
These educational videos and activities help children enjoy learning about pool safety and family fun in the water.

Goldfish Swim School - Kids Coloring Pages & Activities
To help you make the most of every moment at home with your little ones, Goldfish Swim School created some fun activities they hope will make a splash in your family's routine! So, turn off the TV, put away the phone and swap an hour of screen time for some tech-free ways to keep your kids entertained.

No Pool Required! 10 Fun Water Activities For Kids
A lot of pools may be closed this summer, but it's nearly impossible to keep kids away from water so might as well help them have as much fun as they possibly can. Get them slipping and sliding with these ideas for games and activities that will keep them entertained for hours. In most cases, all you need is a hose that's lying around the house. Read on, and let the wet fun begin!

Resources for Adults

American Red Cross Water Safety Resource Center
It only takes a moment. A child or weak swimmer can drown in the time it takes to reply to a text, check a fishing line or apply sunscreen. Death and injury from drownings happen every day in home pools and hot tubs, at the beach or in oceans, lakes, rivers and streams, bathtubs, and even buckets. The Red Cross believes that by working together to improve water competency – which includes swimming skills, water smarts and helping others – water activities can be safer… and just as much fun.

Take the FREE Water Safety for Parents and Caregivers Online Course!
The Water Safety for Parents and Caregivers Online Course focuses on developing an awareness of the risks of drowning and how to minimize those risks, especially for young children. This FREE online course teaches parents and caregivers about the concepts of the circle of drowning prevention, water competency and the chain of drowning survival. It also provides guidance for applying water safety to common environments and situations where children are most at risk for drowning.

Become a Water Safety Ambassador Online!
The Becoming a Water Safety Ambassador FREE course covers fundamentals of water safety, provides an orientation to Red Cross materials to teach water safety in a dryland, classroom-based setting and offers ideas on how to implement water safety education in your community. This online course is intended for teachers as well as adult and youth leaders in the community who are committed to sharing Red Cross resources to impact drowning rates, especially in places that are most at risk for drowning.

Josh the Otter - Be Safe Around Water
“Josh the Baby Otter” was created to help children comprehend and remember this important message: to stay away from water unless accompanied by an adult. Check out their drowning prevention tips & layers of protection for adults.

Pool Safely - Resources for Parents
Parents and families can learn crucial water safety steps to follow at public and residential pools and spas, as well as how to best teach children how to be safer in and around the water.

Water Safety Videos

Pool Safety - How to safely help drowning victims

Every year numerous people lose their lives due to drowning. It is important to know how to safely help a drowning victim. These tips will help you identify a drowning victim and save their life. Remember an important safety method - We REACH, We THROW, but we DON'T go (Do not swim out to them).

2 Ways to Save Yourself From Drowning According to Olympic Swimmers
Even the most experienced swimmers can find themselves in a situation where something has gone wrong and they start to drown. That's why it's crucial to know what to do and what NOT to do in this scenario. One day, this knowledge might save your life. For example, when a person is drowning, they need to fight not the water but their instincts. The thing is, when somebody feels that they aren't in control of the situation, they start to flail as hard as they can. By panicking, they make themselves submerge deeper and deeper. As a result, they get exhausted quickly and can't stay afloat long enough to wait for help. Do you wanna know more about it? Then watch the video!

Beach Safety Tips for Kids & Adults – The American Red Cross

The beach may be a place of wonder, beauty, relaxation and fun, but there are also some dangers. However, with our beach safety tips, you can help protect your family and have a great day playing in the sand and surf. So, before you head out, Dr. Peter Wernicki, a member of the American Red Cross Science Advisory Council, offers up these simple tips for beach safety.

Please note, the City of South Gate does not endorse or receive funds to advertise any of the third party sites or services listed or referenced on this website.