To ensure the safety of children at home, the Child Safety Department (CSD), an affiliate of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs (SCFA), has released a ‘Home Safety’ e-booklet in Arabic and English. The booklet has been shared digitally with parents and is available for download through the link on the Child Safety Department’s Instagram and Twitter accounts (@childsafetyuae).

The interactive, game-filled booklet contains home safety tips and instructions conveyed through a series of fun family-friendly puzzles, word games and art activities, designed to raise the awareness of all members of the family.

The department has also posted social media videos that stress the importance of abiding by the UAE’s social distancing policies and precautionary measures and aim to raise awareness of home safety essentials including highlighting potentially hazardous objects for children commonly found in homes.

Hanadi Saleh Al Yafei, Director of CSD, said: “With many families now spending all day at home, it is vital that parents pay attention to their children at all times to ensure their safety. Many parents have also taken up the responsibility of supporting their children as they adjust to the new distance learning initiative, which means younger siblings could potentially be left unattended even if only for a moment. That is why we feel it is essential for families to come together for such activities that are both engaging and educational.”

“Through the home safety e-booklet, we aim to raise community awareness about child safety at home, providing essential information and reminders for both parents and children that the home can also be a dangerous place for a child if left unattended, especially with sharp, heavy or hot objects, or open windows and balconies. The booklet is designed to really engage children through drawing activities, colourful pictures, games and puzzles,” she added.

The booklet includes a section to cut and paste pictures and group them in safe or unsafe boxes. It also contains a word puzzle where children have to find hidden words in a matrix or jumbled letters, each word used in a child safety context; a drawing activity that includes mapping out a house plan and finding fire escape routes; memorising the Civil Defence contact number; and agreeing on a meeting place outside the home in case of a fire.

The Department also continues to post informative and engaging social media content containing tips and advice on how parents can protect their children at home from choking hazards, falling from windows or balconies, and how to support their children through the Ministry of Education’s Distance Learning initiative.