A fully graphical version of this publication is also available from CPSC.
Question: What's fun and games -- with lots of lifesaving information?
Answer:
A baby safety shower!
If you're looking for ways to help parents take better care of their children, consider organizing a baby safety shower -- a baby shower with a new twist.
A baby safety shower is a learning party where all the activities revolve around home safety themes. Parents and caregivers have fun -- and leave with new ideas about keeping their babies safe at home.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Gerber Products Company developed this baby safety shower initiative to help good parents become even better ones. After all, no parents are born knowing about safety for their babies.
Baby safety showers have been organized in all kinds of communities for all kinds of audiences. As First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton said when she attended the kick-off Baby Safety Shower in Washington, DC, "I hope families all over America will have baby safety showers (to) educate each other about what we need to do to keep all of our babies safe and healthy." These showers are an especially good way for local organizations to reach new parents and parents-to-be with important safety information.
You can arrange a baby safety shower for any number of people -- from 20 to 200. At larger baby safety showers, parents can visit a variety of workshops where volunteers illustrate important safety information with games, prizes, and other activities. At smaller showers, a few volunteers can lead the group in safety games.
Your theme can focus, like the material included here, on keeping your baby safe at home -- or you can include additional issues, like nutrition and health.
Baby safety showers are also a good way to create and promote public-private partnerships among many different organizations. By offering, for example, to distribute donated baby products or health information, you can enhance your ties with the local business community and build your relationships with local health and social service organizations. All this creates community goodwill -- and provides your invited parents with welcome information, products, and services.
The materials you'll need to get started are included in this Baby Safety Shower How-to Kit. Take special note of the Baby Safety Checklist, in both English and Spanish, which provides 12 important home safety tips that all parents should know.
Use your imagination to create a baby safety shower for your specific situation. The key to success is providing important safety information in a festive and inviting setting. So, roll up your sleeves -- and have fun!
Table of Contents
PART ONE: Planning Ahead
1. Getting Organized
A baby safety shower should be fun for all involved. But it's important to be well-organized.
As your first task, put together a planning committee to help you. The more assistance you get, the easier your job will be. Recruit representatives from groups and organizations that are interested in baby safety issues and can do the job well. Discuss early on:
Suggestions and ideas for all of these topics are included in this How-to Kit.
Delegate responsibility for broad categories of shower-related activities (getting sponsors, publicity, food, program, decorations, etc.) to your committee members. Keep in touch with everyone regularly to ensure that everything gets done.
Think about how you can use contributions from many different sources. For example:
Start planning early -- and enjoy yourself!
2. Following a Timetable
Planning and organization are crucial to the success of your baby safety shower. This timetable should help you plan a large event. A smaller shower can be organized more quickly.
3. Inviting Your Guests
Decide which group you want to reach with safety information. For example, you may want to work with teen mothers, parents-to-be, low-income parents, low-literacy parents, or non-English speaking parents. The shower activities work best if developed around the special needs of one group at a time.
Work with organizations and groups that serve the people you have targeted. They can help you decide whom to invite and plan an appropriate program. They also can help you determine how many shower guests to invite. For example, you can hold a shower for 20 people in someone's living room or for 200 in your local high school gymnasium.
Make your guests feel special by inviting each one personally -- and encouraging them to RSVP. This will communicate that you really want them at the shower and will help you plan for the number of guests actually attending.
See the attachments section for a sample invitation.
4. Choosing the Site
Choose a site for the shower that's familiar and convenient to your invited audience and offers a warm, friendly environment.
Depending on the size of your shower, the site could be a community center, public library conference room, church social hall, hospital or clinic reception area, school cafeteria, gymnasium, auditorium, or a similar space in a professional office building. Check the following points.
No matter where you hold your shower, keep a list of emergency or medical services telephone numbers handy, just in case you need them.
5. Recruiting and Using Volunteers
You'll need plenty of volunteers to prepare for the shower and then help on the day of the event. Start recruiting early.
Decide how many volunteers you want and what they will do. Volunteers can head committees, solicit sponsors, collect donations, set up equipment, make decorations, greet guests, run game workshops, serve food, clean up, and much more. Plan to line up more people than you need, in case some drop out before the event.
To help volunteers, be very clear about what they must do. Provide orientation sessions. If needed, schedule a dry run close to the event so all involved feel comfortable about their assignment.
After the shower, be sure to thank everyone for making the event a success!
6. Working with Businesses and Organizations
Baby showers involve games, gifts, and edible goodies. Start early to enlist the help of interested health and safety organizations, companies doing business in your area, and volunteers. There are probably many in your community eager to help.
Good places to start:
Tips for working with other organizations:
7. Covering Your Costs
A baby safety shower need not cost a lot, but you'll probably have some expenses. Your partners and sponsors may be able to underwrite your expenses or donate most of the goods and services. Here is a list of possible expenses:
If you can't cover these costs or arrange for donations, you may need to modify the shower activities. For example, you can make your own invitations or duplicate the one in this How-to Kit and hand-deliver them. You can ask volunteers to donate homemade food. You can design your own decorations. Be creative! What's most important is developing a warm and friendly atmosphere where your guests feel comfortable and motivated to learn.
8. Arranging Publicity
Publicizing your shower can have many benefits. It can announce details of your upcoming shower to your target audience. It also can alert businesses, local elected officials, media celebrities, and other community leaders to your efforts and attract their support.
Notify the local media about your event. The sample press release and broadcast advertisement in Part Four: Attachments should help you get started. Follow up with personal calls to the news or community events director.
It helps if there is a well-known person associated with your shower. For example, you may want to invite a well-known VIP, like the mayor or a local TV personality. Try enlisting a radio or television show or local newspaper as a sponsor of the shower. These organizations often are interested in supporting community efforts important to their audiences.
Don't forget the value of fliers posted in grocery stores, drugstores, libraries, bus stops -- any public location where your targeted audience is likely to see them.
PART TWO: Developing Your Shower Program
9. Shower Theme
Plan to select an overall theme for your baby safety shower. This How-to Kit is developed around the theme of keeping your baby safe at home. Integral to this program is the Baby Safety Checklist (see the next page), which presents 12 tips for keeping babies safe in the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and other living areas.
While this is critical information for every new parent, you may want to include additional health and safety themes. Choosing quality child care, selecting safe toys and nursery equipment, ensuring immunizations and proper nutrition for infants and toddlers -- all of these would work.
If you invite a small group, focus on one theme. If your group is larger and you have the space, consider broadening the scope. Bring in other partners to work with you. For example, get the health department or local hospital to offer an immunization clinic. Ask a local supermarket to sponsor a nutrition booth -- with appropriate games and prizes.
Pick your theme early, so you can better plan your program and activities. Coordinate your work with all involved, so that everyone knows what to do to make each activity successful.
10. Baby Safety Checklists (English and Spanish)
The following four pages are masters for handouts. They can be removed from the kit (at the perforations) and photocopied so that each of your shower guests can have one. We recommend that the Checklist be printed on one side and The Reasons Behind the Chicklist on the reverse side of 8½" x 11" paper.
11. Game Workshops
Games and other fun activities are an effective way to teach and reinforce safety and health messages. The games included here focus on the theme of keeping your baby safe at home.
These games are based on the safety messages found in the Baby Safety Checklist. There is one suggested game for each area of the home: bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and other living areas.
Below is a brief description of each game.
Adapt these games to your needs or develop new ones. Be sure you have more than enough materials for every participant to play each game.
If you only have time for one game, play Safety Bingo -- it includes safety tips from each area of the home, it's easy, and it's fun!
BEDROOM SAFETY GAME: "Can You Answer This?"
Game Tips:
Checklist.
After each game, review the Checklist again.
Materials Needed: Flip chart or blackboard, markers for scoring.
Game Rules
Participants are split into two teams. The moderator asks Team A for three answers to each game question. For each correct answer, Team A gets one point. If Team A is stumped, Team B gets a chance to answer. The moderator then asks Team B one game question -- and so on.
When the four game questions are answered, the moderator simultaneously asks each team a bonus round question. The team that first answers the question correctly wins.
Game Questions (1 point for each correct answer):
Q: Can you name three things that describe an unsafe crib?
A: (1)
missing hardware (2) not sturdy (3) loose hardware
Also correct: mattress that doesn't fit snugly; corner posts; decorative cutouts in head or foot boards; crib slats that are too far apart
Q: What are the three possible safe or unsafe sleep positions for your baby
in a crib?
A: (1) back (safe) (2) side (safe) (3) stomach (unsafe)
Q: Can you name three examples of soft bedding?
A: (1) pillows (2)
soft, fluffy comforters (3) quilts
Also correct: sheepskin
Q: Can you name three things you should never place near a window with blind
or curtain cords?
A: (1) crib (2) playpen (3) highchair
Also correct: other children's furniture
Bonus Round Questions (2 points for each correct answer):
Q: Can you name three small objects that are choking hazards for children
under three years of age?
A: Accept answers like: buttons,
balloons, marbles, foods like grapes, peanuts, hard candy, cut-up hot dogs
Q: What are three safety concerns to look for in and on your child's toy box
or toy chest?
A: Accept answers like: toys with sharp edges or
points; toys that are too small; toys with detachable small parts; hinged-lid
toy boxes without safety-lid supports
Q: What are three common hazards found on children's clothing?
A: Accept
answers like: loose buttons, drawstrings, loose snaps, small decorations
that detach
BATHROOM SAFETY GAME: "Safety Sayings"
Game Tips:
Materials Needed: Flip chart or blackboard, markers.
Game Rules
Participants are split into two teams. On the flip chart, draw the number of blank lines (similar to the game of hangman) corresponding to the number of letters and spaces in the safety saying. Each team in turn guesses a letter to go in the spaces; correct letters are written in the appropriate blank(s). To make the game go more quickly, you may want to fill in the vowels beforehand. When one team thinks it knows the saying, it calls out the answer. The team correctly guessing the most safety sayings wins.
Safety Sayings:
KITCHEN SAFETY GAME: "Picture Safety"
Game Tips:
Materials Needed: Two flip charts, markers, 3" x 5" cards (for safety clues).
Game Rules
Participants are split into two teams. The teams sit or stand facing each other. The flip charts are positioned back to back between the teams. The moderator selects a safety clue card and shows it to one person from each team. When the moderator says "go," each person draws a picture of the safety clue on her team's flip chart. The first team to guess the picture wins 5 points. The team can win 5 more points if it correctly describes how the clue is safety-related. The team with the most points wins.
Safety Clue Cards: Safety or Hazard Issue:
Cabinet safety latch Prevents children from getting into cabinets where harmful household products are kept.
Dish detergents can be harmful if children swallow them.
Highchair with safety straps Prevents children from climbing or falling out and getting injured.
Pots and pans on stoves can burn children if they reach handles and spill hot liquid or food on themselves.
Knives can injure children if they reach them and cut themselves.
Plastic trash bags can cause children to suffocate if the bag gets over their noses and mouths.
Matches can burn and start fires.
OTHER LIVING AREAS SAFETY GAME: "Safety Bingo"
Game Tips:
Materials Needed: bingo game cards (see the attachments section) and several "chips" or buttons for each participant.
Game Rules
This game is similar to bingo. Each participant is given a game card with pictures in each box. The moderator reads a safety clue aloud, and each participant covers the appropriate picture box on her bingo card. The winners are those who first correctly cover all the boxes on their cards in a row across, down, or diagonally and call out "bingo." This game can be played many times, with the questions read in different order.
Safety Clues:
Q: One of these should be on every level of the home for protection from
fires.
A: Smoke detector.
Q: One of these will prevent children from falling down stairs.
A:
Safety gate.
Q: Stops children from poking fingers and inserting objects into electrical
outlets.
A: Safety plugs.
Q: This round game part is a choking hazard to young children who put things
in their mouths.
A: Small toy ball and jacks set.
Q: If burst or uninflated, these can be a choking hazard to young children.
A: Balloons.
Q: These may look like candy to small children. Keep in container with
safety cap.
A: Medicine pills in bottles with safety caps.
Q: This is the best position for babies to sleep.
A: Back or side.
Q: Stops children from opening cabinet or cupboard doors where cleaning
products or medicines are stored.
A: Cabinet lock.
Q: In a smoke detector, this should be changed every year.
A: Battery.
PART THREE: Putting Your Shower Together
12. Equipment and Supplies
Plan far ahead for all the materials, equipment, and supplies you'll use at the shower. Your own list of needed materials will reflect the specific activities planned for your shower. Here are some suggestions:
13. Food
No party is complete without food! Whether you serve snacks or a full luncheon, make it a festive and sociable part of the shower. What you serve depends on the time of day, your resources, and the generosity of your sponsors. Here are some basics.
14. Exhibits
If your shower includes exhibits displaying health and safety information or baby-related products and services, be sure your facility can accommodate this. Provide each exhibitor with this list:
15. Gifts and Prizes
Everyone loves receiving gifts, and your shower guests are no exception. Supermarkets, drug stores, baby stores, and specialty shops are great places to ask for contributions of gifts and prizes. Remember that your invited guests are potential customers -- and merchants are always looking for ways to establish a good reputation in the community.
Try to get some donated items related to baby safety, such as cabinet locks or electric socket plugs. Also include products every parent can use: baby bath items, disposable diapers, baby food, toys, and baby clothing. Moms also may welcome special treats for themselves -- like a makeover or gift certificates from local stores.
You may want to give a prize to game winners, or even better, to all participants in a game. A "goody bag" filled with product samples, discount coupons, gift certificates -- and safety literature -- would delight all your guests.
Save your best and biggest prize for a raffle or door prize. Finish off your shower with an exciting finale!
16. Shower Day Schedule
Whether you plan a large or small event, develop a realistic schedule for the day. The suggestions below may help you with a large event. Make arrangements ahead of time with the building management to reserve the room, tables, chairs, partitions, kitchen, and other facilities or equipment at the site. Allow sufficient time before and after the shower for setup and cleanup.
Room Setup (1-1/2 hours)
Make sure volunteers help set up the room. Consider traffic flow around room entrances, game workshops, exhibits, food tables, and child-care area. Room arrangements may include:
Registration and Welcoming Activities (1/2 hour)
Register each guest, hand out name tags, and provide materials about the day's event. Consider including refreshments and entertainment as ice-breakers.
Opening Remarks (15 minutes)
The primary organizer welcomes the guests, sets the theme, and reviews the overall shower program. Consider asking a parent to relate a human interest story based on the importance of child safety in the home.
Game Workshops (1 hour)
At the start of the shower, each guest is assigned to a game workshop focusing on one topic or room area. Throughout the hour, guests rotate to each of the other game workshops. Or, if your group is not too large, you might hold one session where all the games are played.
Closing Remarks (15 minutes)
The primary organizer summarizes the game workshop messages, encourages guests to use the products and materials given out, and thanks all the sponsors and organizations who contributed to the event.
Other Options
Meal (1/2 - 1 hour)
If time and resources permit, serve a meal, like lunch. This allows time for further exchange of information with your guests.
Exhibits (1/2 - 1 hour)
Schedule time for guests to visit exhibits for additional health and safety information. This can be done during the lunch hour or after the program's closing remarks.
Finally
Cleanup (1 hour)
After the guests leave, clean up! Make arrangements with the building management for janitorial services or tell your volunteers ahead of time what they need to do before leaving the facility. A simple checklist might include such duties as packing up unused workshop materials, sweeping the room, cleaning kitchen facilities, and removing trash. Be sure to leave the facility in clean condition.
PART FOUR: Attachments
17. Publication Ordering Information
From the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
Your organization can order up to five copies of the How-to Kit and up to 50 copies each of the other materials listed below. Complete this form and send it to CPSC at the address shown. Be sure to include your name and address. Allow at least two weeks for delivery.
Title Item Number Quantity Baby Safety Checklist Growth Chart* CPSC 206 (Eng.)_______ Baby Safety Checklist Growth Chart* CPSC 206S (Span.)_______ Baby Safety Shower How-to Kit* CPSC 207_______ (up to 5) Tips for Your Baby's Safety CPSC 200 (Eng.) _______ Tips for Your Baby's Safety CPSC 200S (Span.) _______ Protect Your Child CPSC 241_______ The Super Sitter CPSC 243_______ Think Toy Safety Coloring Book CPSC 283_______ (English and Spanish) * Available over the Internet at http://ericps.ed.uiuc.edu/nccic/nccichome.html
Mailing Address Publication Request U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Washington, DC 20207
From the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
To order a single copy of "Choking Prevention and First Aid for Infants and Children," send a self-addressed stamped envelope to the address below:
AAP Department C Choking & First Aid Brochure PO Box 927 Elk Grove Village, IL 60009-0927
For quantity purchase information and a price list of additional materials, call the AAP publications department: 1 (800) 433-9016.
18. Sample Press Release
Recommended Use: 5-7 days prior to event
For Immediate Release Contact: (your name)
(your phone number)
(Your organization) Launches Baby Safety Shower Program
(Your city, state, date) -- (Your organization name) plans to launch its Baby Safety Shower Program on (date), teaming up with (names of partners involved in program) to reduce the risk of injury and death to infants and children at home. This (length of shower event) Baby Safety Shower program is designed to encourage young parents to make their homes safe for children.
"We want to help educate parents about home safety, " (quote from well-known figure who supports the event). Parents who attend the shower will learn through games, fun, and other activities about home safety. Each participant will receive free gifts to take home, courtesy of (partner's name).
In (your community), the shower is (description of Baby Safety Shower activities and events). Call (phone number/times to call) for information on how to register for this free Baby Safety Shower to be held at (date, time and location).
"We are proud to sponsor this event" (quote from well-known figure who supports the event). "Working together, we can ensure that every home is a safe home, and that our babies have a safe start in life."
19. Sample Broadcast Advertisement
Medium: Radio Length: 60-second spot Topic: General event announcement
Recommended use: Use 5-7 days prior to event; may use as public service announcement.
Baby Safety Showers are coming -- no need for an umbrella! Expectant mothers, new parents, and day-care providers are invited to attend this free (length of time) event. The shower will be held at (location) on (date/time).
Parents who attend will learn through games, fun, and other activities how to make their homes safe havens for their babies. This information will help reduct the risk of injury and death for our smallest, most vulnerable citizens.
For more information about home safety for your child, come to the Baby Safety Shower at (location). Pre-registration is required. Call (name and phone number) during (hours) to register for the Baby Safety Shower. (Free baby-sitting will be available.)
Safety for children is everyone's business. Working together, we can ensure that every home is a safe home, and that our babies have a safe start in life.
[Optional: This message is brought to you as a public service by (your organization) and this radio station.]
20. Invitation and Bingo Game Masters
The following three pages are masters for the invitation and bingo game. They can be removed from the kit (at the perforations) and photocopied on 8½" x 11" paper. The two-sided invitation folds in half; the bingo masters should be cut between the two game cards.
21. Program Evaluation Form
At CPSC, we're always trying to improve. If you'd like to help us make the Baby Safety Shower program and materials better, you can use the space below to tell us what you think about them.
Baby Safety Shower How-to Kit.
Check each one you used:
____ Timetable ____ Publication order form
____ Sample broadcast ad ____ Shower day schedule
____ Invitation ____ Bingo cards
____ Baby Safety Checklist ____ Sample press release
Which parts of the kit did you find most useful (+)? Least useful (-)?
____ Timetable ____ Publication order form
____ Sample broadcast ad ____ Shower day schedule
____ Invitation ____ Bingo cards
____ Baby Safety Checklist ____ Sample press release
__________________ Other
(please specify)
What additional information would you have found useful?
Shower Event. Please send any special materials you developed for
your shower.
Who was your target audience? (Check each that's appropriate.)
parents-to-be ___ low-income parents ___
teen parents ___ low-literacy parents ___
ethnic minority parants ___ middle-income parents ___
other____________________
(please specify)
How many attended? _____
What were your theme and activities?
How did your guests like the event?
Not at all ___ Some ___ A lot ___ Not sure ___
Additional Comments
Optional Information
Your name
Title/phone no.
Organization
Address
[Please send to
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission,
Baby Safety Showers, Room 708, Washington, D.C. 20207]
CPSC HOTLINE
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CPSC's Internet address: info@cpsc.gov Brought to you by U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Gerber Products Company 009512
All the material in this document is in the public domain and may be freely copied.