What is childhood without the ability to explore and turn imagination loose on everyday household items? A cardboard box can become a spaceship or a fort. An attic becomes a Spanish galleon loaded with treasure. Kitchen dishes are ferried away for use in dinner parties serving invisible royalty. It is natural for children to explore their world with all their senses. However, this can mean they also venture into dangerous situations in the home.

Children below seven years of age often have trouble making the correlation between their actions and potential consequences. Occasionally those actions result in injury. The following are some accident prevention tips for parents:

In General

• Children like to mimic adults. They may try to seem grown up by taking their parent's medication. It is advisable to never let your children see you take medication and to store bottles well out of reach. Make sure all family members know what number to call in case of a poisoning. In most parts of Canada, 911 can dispatch an ambulance in the event of poisoning. You may also wish to check the front of your local phone book to see if there is a direct phone number for poisoning.
• Another case in which imitation can be hazardous is cigarette smoking. Children playing with matches and lighting cigarettes has lead to serious burns and home fires.
• Place your plants on secure furniture at least one metre off the floor. Some household plants can be poisonous to people and pets including chrysanthemums (commonly referred to as mums), poinsettia, philodendron, aloe vera and hydrangea.

Kitchen

• Never put inedible products in food or drink containers, even when you have re-labelled accordingly. Children may not be able to read the label but may recognize the container.
• Drawers should have stops to prevent them being fully pulled out.
• Keep sharp objects such as scissors and knives out of reach.
• Oven cleaners, disinfectants and other chemical agents should be stored in a locked cupboard or on a high shelf.
• Ideally, power outlets should be located well away from the sink and taps to prevent any electrical appliances from coming in contact with water.
• Cook on the rear stove elements to prevent children from reaching up and burning their hands. A stove guard fixed around the front and sides of the stove is also a good preventative measure.
• Childproof fasteners on kitchen drawers and cupboards will help keep them closed.

Bathroom

• Put non-slip stickers on the bottom of the bathtub or shower stall.
• Young children should never be left unsupervised in the bath.
• Tap water can be hot enough to scald a child. Set your hot water heater to a maximum of 50 °C. Also ensure that hot water pipes are completely concealed or insulated to prevent burns.
• Shower and bath rails are a good safety measure for the whole family. Rails should be strong enough to support an adult's weight.
• Don't use soap holders or cups in the bathroom that are made of glass, ceramic or other shattering material. It is easy for small soapy hands to lose their grip on them.
• Electrical appliances should be unplugged and placed in cupboards when not in use. No electrical outlets or appliances should come within the reach of a child in the bath or splash area. If you do have outlets within reach, you may want to consider taping and painting over the outlet and keeping it covered until the children are older.

Laundry

• Ironing boards are notoriously unsteady. A wall-mounted ironing board is preferable to one with legs as it folds away and can't be pulled over.
• Bleach and other cleaning agents should be stored out of reach in a locked cabinet.

Bedrooms

• Bunk beds are not recommended for children under eight years of age. Bunk beds should have guardrails on all sides and a ladder that is permanently fixed to the bed.
• Young children tend to tumble and stumble quite often. Carpet in the bedroom is a good impact-absorbing material.
• Bookshelves and wall units should be firmly anchored to the wall to prevent a child from pulling them over.
• Use lead-free low-emission water-based paint in children's bedrooms as well as in other living areas in the home.

Balconies and Decks

Fire Hazards

• Make a fire evacuation plan and practice fire escape routes with your family twice a year.
• Be sure there is at least one window or sliding door on the upper level of your home which opens wide enough to allow an adult to exit easily in the event of a fire. You may also want to consider having a rope ladder and method of attaching it to the window frame.
• A fire extinguisher in the kitchen is essential. Also keep one in a room with a fireplace (at least 3 metres from the fire) and one on the upstairs level. Remember to read the instructions on how to use the extinguishers - you may save precious moments in an emergency.