It’s a sad fact that our culture of health and safety means we are keeping our children indoors and away from adventure. Throwing open the back door is just not enough to get kids away from their computer games. They have to be wrestled into coats, whining like cats being put out in the rain! But the moans are worth it: ROAD recently commissioned a survey of over a thousand children aged 6 to 12: Over half had never camped out in their garden or laid down to watch the stars. It makes you want to cry – all the more given soaring obesity rates and the spectre of Type II diabetes following close behind. The question is, WHY the cotton wool-ing? As usual, communication is key. 41% of parents had never talked to their kids about assessing danger or risk, which probably explains their reluctance to let the adventure begin in the first place. 1 in 4 kids didn’t know what t

o do in a fire, or how to stay safe in a thunderstorm. This research was commissioned for Elastoplast, and revealed that even when it comes to the basics, like covering a minor wound with a plaster, 70% of parents aren’t following correct procedures, leaving cuts open to dirt and infection. More worryingly, 75% confessed they didn’t know how to deal with a choking child. The answer? Get informed, and let the mud pies begin! Check out ROAD’s Kid Escapades downloads for Elastoplast to get clued up.