Jul 4, 2006 8:17 pm US/Eastern

Family First: Holiday Safety For Kids

Helpful Ways To Keep Your Family Safe While Your Out Having Fun

(CBS) NEW YORK If your family is heading to the beach, an amusement park or even the mall, the crowds can be a nightmare, and if you have small children it can be tough to keep track of them.

It's a good idea to dress them in bright colors, which are easy to spot, and to describe to police if your child wanders off. If you have several children, you may want to dress them in the same color.

If your kids are picky about their clothes, they might like the brightly colored shirts designed by Wander Wear. A mom who wanted to protect kids from getting lost created the company. The bright shirts have a cartoon monster on the front to appeal to the little ones. The company also makes i-d tags, where you can write down your phone numbers and clip it into the back of your child's shirt.

There's also Who's Shoes ID, which you velcro to your kid's shoes. It's filled with all your contact information.

If your kids are old enough, have them memorize that information, especially your cell phone number. Most people think about their home number, but if you're out searching for your child it won't do much good.

Victoria Pericon is the editor of Savvy Mommy Magazine. She says some amusement parks no longer allow strollers, so she likes the Sidekick diaper bag, which is also a child carrier.

She says, "it allows your child to be snug next to you when you're on the go waiting in line for an attraction and you don't have to worry about them running off."

If you're worried about the sun, Victoria says you can try some of the new clothes out that have UV protection built in. Protect a Bub swimwear looks like surfer gear, and has a UPF 50+ rating which is the highest available for sun protection products.

There are also Tilly Hats for children with a 50+-protection rating. They have wide brims and come in lots of colorful designs, plus some are reversible.

No matter what your kids wear and even if it's cloudy outside, it's important to wear sunscreen with a minimum 15 spf.

2 pediatrician moms designed Babysilk sunscreen towelettes. They have a 30 spf and they're easy to apply. Victoria says, "one towelette is perfect for an entire child's body and they need to be re-applied like anything else, but it's a lot easier and less messy and it's also hypo allergenic."

Victoria says it's important to re-apply sunscreen every 2 hours, and after your child swims.

You can find more information on the products mentioned above by clicking on one of the links below:
www.savvymommy.com
www.mdmoms.com