5 Safety Tips in Riding Kiddie Rides and why its good for your children

When our little boy almost turned one, we decided to make him ride the arcades. It's the ones you see in Timezone, or in Storyland. I got the idea of exposing our baby to these rides through my sister-in-law who always make sure that their children always get to ride these rides when we're at the mall. At first, I did not really understand why she does it but now I know why.

What's good about Kiddie rides?

First, it's FUN. The first time I saw my little one ride the remote controlled car in SM was so precious. He was laughing so hard and he really enjoyed his stay in the car. The next time we brought him to the arcade he was so excited when he saw the kiddie rides section.

Secondly, it is an opportunity for kids to discover or explore other things. It's not just a kiddie ride but it can also be a teaching moment for us parents. Our little one recognized steering wheels right after he got the chance to ride his first kiddie ride. We also make it a point to teach him the type of vehicles he ride on like cars, buses, trains and airplane.

Lastly, it boosts their self-confidence to try out things for themselves. Of course, there are rides that are strictly for their size and age, so us parents can't ride with them. In my opinion, it's part of teaching them independence and letting them on their own. I feel happy whenever I see my little one eager to go in a ride all by himself while I stand just beside him.

Although it is beneficial to our kids, I also would like to emphasize the safety issues it has on our children. So here are my 5 Tips in Ensuring Safety in Kiddie rides:

1. Keep an eye on your children. Regardless of age, parents should always watch their kids attentively in the arcade or while riding the kiddie rides.

2. Check for loose or broken parts on the kiddie ride. Before placing our children in the kiddie ride make sure that it is working properly or that there are no protruding parts that can harm our children. Look out for sharp edges or loose screw that can lead to bruises or choking incidents for the little ones.

3. Stand or hold your children while in the kiddie ride. What my husband and I do is to hold our little one when riding the kiddie rides. We make sure that either of us are on the sides of the ride so our little one won't fall or would sit still while the rides is in motion. It also prevents him from sitting on the floor or touching unnecessary things inside. It's also how we try to teach him while he's inside the ride like colors, or the parts of the car.

4. Ride with your kids, if necessary. Like in Storyland or in Trinoma, where there is a train, we make sure that either of us his parents will ride with him and not his yaya or caretaker. This is because we witness one time, when a parent let their yaya ride the train with their child and after the ride the yaya could not be found anymore. The worst thing is that the child was no longer to be found as well. This is really alarming so we decided that we will ride with our little one and not anyone else.

5. Let them enjoy the ride. Riding kiddie rides is an awesome feeling for children. As parents let's give them that happiness by letting them explore and enjoy the ride.

Do you let your child ride kiddie rides or play in the arcade? 

What other safety tips can you suggest?