Kiddie & Inflatable Pool Safety Checklist

Keep small backyard pools from becoming a big danger — every setup, every swim, every time

WaterWiseKids.com — Free water safety education for families

Tape this by the back door or the hose. A young child can drown in just an inch or two of water — quickly and silently.

Today's Water Watcher:

Backup adult:

Emergency #: 911 | Home address posted?

Pool emptied & flipped after use? ☐ Yes

📍 Before You Fill It — Safe Setup

Placed on flat, level ground — firm grass or a pad, never on a slope, near a deck edge, or on a slick surface. An uneven pool can tip.
In full view of the house — set where you can see it from the kitchen or main room, not tucked out of sight around the side or behind a shed.
Away from other water — not beside a permanent pool, pond, hot tub, or drainage ditch.
Charged phone at poolside — for calling 911 only. Bring it out before the water goes in.
Water Watcher decided before filling — one sober, undistracted adult is assigned to watch the water before any child gets in.
Sun & shade ready — sunscreen applied, shade or breaks planned. Little bodies overheat and tire fast.

One adult within arm's reach — touch supervision for toddlers and non-swimmers. Close enough to see is NOT close enough; be close enough to lift the child instantly.
Water Watcher has no other job — no phone, no cooking, no hosting, no conversation. Watching the water is the whole task.
"Someone else is watching" is banned — when several adults are around, everyone assumes another is watching and supervision drops to zero. One named Watcher only.
Hand off out loud before stepping away — if you must leave, either take the child with you or say aloud who is taking over the Water Watcher role.
Floaties are toys, not safety — water wings, rings, and seats can slip off or flip a child face-down. They never replace an adult's arms.

Dump ALL the water the instant swim time ends — not after snacks, not after cleanup. Draining it is part of ending swim time, every single time.
Flip the pool over — turn it upside down or on its side so it cannot refill with rain or sprinkler water. Even a few inches of collected rain is a hazard.
Store it out of reach when possible — put the empty pool in a shed or garage so it is not a standing temptation.
Never leave a full pool unattended — a filled kiddie pool with no fence, no gate, and no one watching is an open drowning hazard a toddler can reach in seconds.
Same rule for buckets, coolers & water tables — empty any standing water a small child could reach.

No running on the wet grass or around the pool — falls onto the rim or ground are a common backyard injury.
Feet-first, sit or kneel — never dive or jump into inches of water. Teach little ones to enter low and slow.
No drinking the pool water — warm standing water grows bacteria fast. Offer a water bottle for thirst.
No rough play or dunking — keep it calm; horseplay tips small children face-down.
Breaks for rest, shade, and sunscreen — end the session before children get overtired or chilled.

At least one adult knows infant/child CPR — a couple of hours of training. It is the skill that matters most in the minutes before help arrives.
Phone at the pool for 911 — if a child is in distress, shout for help, call 911, and start rescue immediately. Do not go looking for a phone.
Never leave to "grab something" — a pool is never left with a child beside it, not even for a moment.
Home address posted or memorized — anyone calling 911 must be able to give the full address instantly.

Children drown in inches of water — a shallow pool is not a "safe" pool. Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1–4 (CDC).
Drowning is fast and silent — no splashing, no yelling; it can happen in 20–60 seconds while adults are a few feet away.
Inflatable sides let toddlers climb in alone — soft, slanted walls mean a child can get in even when you think the pool is "closed." Empty it.
Swim lessons lower risk — they don't replace watching — lessons cut drowning risk for ages 1–4 by up to 88% (AAP), but eyes on the water are still required, every time.