ADVICE TO KEEP YOUR CHILD SAFE AT THE AIR SHOW
FEWER WORRIES = MORE FUN!
- Keep Photos on Your Phone & Get Our Free ID Bracelets. Take a closeup photo of your child and a photo of the two of you together and store them on your phone. Make a mental note of what your child is wearing and who they’re with. NEVER have your child’s name displayed on clothing or backpacks. Get a free ID bracelet for your child at the Airshow’s Lost Child Booth.
- Know the Airshow’s Safe Places & Safe People. Get a map immediately upon entering the Airshow and locate the Help Center and Lost Child Booth. Talk with your child about who to ask for help – Airshow staff, police or security. Be sure your child knows to not search for you on their own and not to leave the Airshow grounds under any circumstances. Program your child’s cell phone with key contact numbers. Tell your child it’s OK to call 911 if they get separated from you.
- Supervise, Supervise, Supervise. Adult supervision is required for children under 12 years old. Never leave a child alone in the children’s play area. If they go on a ride without you, find a place where you can see them at all times – while they’re in line, when they enter the ride and when exiting. Older children should stay in groups and use the buddy system.
- Accompany Your Child to the Restroom. Never let your child enter or stay in the restroom alone. Older children should use the buddy system when using the restroom.
Make Tracking Your Child Easy. Dress your child in bright clothing so they are easy to see in crowded areas. Avoid becoming separated: walk at a pace that is comfortable for your child and never leave a procrastinating child behind. Hold your child’s hand; place small children in strollers.
- Make Contacting You Easy. Make sure your child knows their full name and phone number. Have them practice both saying it out loud and writing it down. Write your phone number on a small slip of paper and tuck it in your child’s pocket.
- Be Clear, Be Firm & Practice Together. Children begin to understand appropriate public behavior by age two or three. Lead by example. Be firm with your rules, and have your child repeat them back to you. Reinforce stranger danger rules, and role play strategies for safety. Playing Red Light, Green Light is a fun way to help children practice following your directions before the distractions of the Airshow begin.
- Stay Together in Parking Lots. Never allow your child to walk or run ahead of you in parking lots. Hold your child's hand firmly and be alert when walking in a parking lot.
- Remember that even though you and your child can see a vehicle, the driver may not be able to see you.
- Have Open, TrustBuilding Conversations. Encourage your child to talk with you about any situation that makes them feel uncomfortable. Listen and take them seriously. Report any concern immediately.