Did you know that an average of 9,600 home fires each year are caused by grilling? That’s according to the National Fire Protection Association. It sure is scary, but to keep yourself, your family and your home safe, you should always take the necessary precaution every time you have a barbecue session.
It’s also important for your children and everyone in the house to learn all about grill safety. These important grilling safety tips for kids will help keep everyone safe:
Answer your kids’ questions
Since they will often be seeing you working the grill while the family is in the backyard, it’s natural for kids to become curious about grilling. When the grill is off, take the time to show how it works. It’s also the perfect time to explain fire safety!
Have a talk about fire safety
It’s crucial that everyone in your home, especially kids, know about fire safety. You should be firm that fire is dangerous and should never be played with. This is especially important if you’re always grilling and the children constantly see fire from your grill. If they should ever catch fire, they should know how to do the stop, drop and roll.
Be sure to put out the fire completely even when you’re done cooking. Remind kids not to come near the grill because it can still be very hot and they can burn themselves.
Create a BBQ-only zone
This zone should be an adults-only zone, no kids can enter or go near the zone for safety. For added fun and for children to understand the rules more, have them draw a border around the barbecue area using colored chalk (about 3 feet on all sides).
Make your grill “baby-proof”
Sure, the heat and the fire is dangerous for kids, but the grill itself is not an ideal thing for young ones to be around with. Most grills are metal and have jagged edges as well as protrusions that are pointy and sharp, which post risks for bumps, cuts or scratches.
It’s important to baby-proof your grill when you have children running around the yard, even if they’re not allowed to go near the barbecue when you’re cooking. Use furniture corner cushions or masking tape to cover particularly sharp edges or any dangerous parts.
Keep the fire going in your grill – just be sure to follow these important grilling safety tips for kids!