Safety Tips

Dr. Hoffman facing a mother who is holding her grinning toddler in her arms, smiling, listening.

Dr. Benjamin Hoffman, Safety Center medical director, talks with Bernadette Ramirez and her daughter, Isabella. (OHSU/Boone Speed Photography)

Whether you’re putting your children down for a nap or driving them to school, we have tips to help you keep them safe. You’ll find advice on topics including:

  • Maintaining a safe environment at any age
  • Preparing your kids to play sports — or just play in the yard
  • Protecting them from the hidden dangers in your home

Keeping kids safe

About every four seconds, a child in the U.S. is treated for an injury in an emergency room, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. Most of those injuries happen in a car, at home or on a sports field.

Most are preventable if you:

  • Find the dangers
  • Learn to prevent them
  • Have the right products
  • Teach your children how to be safe

Safety tips by topic

We have put together tips for almost any situation on a typical day. Each topic links to a page filled with detailed advice.

Baby and toddler safety

On our Baby and Toddler Safety page, you’ll find safety information about:

  • Cribs
  • Fires
  • Poisons
  • Car seats
  • Safe sleep
  • Feeding your baby
  • Pacifiers
  • Changing time
  • Equipment
  • Play time
  • Bath time
  • Kitchens and bathrooms
  • Stairs
  • Outlets and cords
  • Windows
  • Fireplaces
  • Furniture
  • Pets
  • Other tips

Home and yard safety

On our Home and Yard Safety page, you’ll find safety advice about:

  • Preventing falls
  • Windows
  • Playgrounds
  • Toys
  • Lawnmowers
  • Poisons
  • Guns

Car and street safety

On our Car and Street Safety page, you’ll find safety tips about:

  • Cars and car seats
  • School buses
  • Driveways
  • On the street
  • Drinking and driving
  • ATVs
  • Traveling with children

Sports and recreation

On our Sports and Recreation Safety page, you’ll find information about safety in:

  • Baseball and softball
  • Basketball
  • Bicycling
  • Cheerleading
  • Football
  • Hockey
  • Scooters, skating and skateboarding
  • Skiing and snowboarding
  • Soccer

Water and sun safety

On our Water and Sun Safety page, you’ll find safety tips about:

  • Sun
  • Heat
  • Swimming
  • Life jackets
  • Boating
  • Personal watercraft

Holiday and seasonal safety

On our Holiday and Seasonal Safety page, you’ll find safety information about:

  • Halloween
  • Fireworks
  • Winter holidays
  • Cold weather
  • Sledding

Safety when you’re not home

On our Safety When You’re Not Home page, you’ll find safety advice about:

  • Baby sitters
  • Emergencies
  • Medication and medical issues
  • Care and play

Kohl’s Sleeping Safe Program

The Safety Center has partnered with the Kohl’s Cares Program to help you give your baby a safe place to sleep. Eligible parents get training and a Cribette, Halo Sleep Sack and crib sheet. Find out more on our Kohl’s Sleeping Safe Program page.

Learn more