Welcome to the October edition of Kidsafe’s e-news!

Welcome to the October edition of Kidsafe’s e-news! This month you’ll find information about National Kidsafe Day, the Pregnancy, Babies and Children’s Expo, Sarah’s charity walk for Kidsafe and some recent product recalls.

National Kidsafe Day

Today is National Kidsafe Day and the theme for this year is ‘Challenging Play – Risk It!’. To celebrate, Kidsafe Victoria announced the winners of the National Playspace Design Awards at the Melbourne Zoo. The Melbourne Zoo received an award for their Growing Wild Project, which is pictured to the right.

The awards recognise excellence and innovation in in the provision of safe, creative playspaces. So for anyone looking for a great playspace to take their children now that the weather is warming up, check out the winners below:

Winners
Bendigo Botanic Gardens Heritage Playspace Project
Bollygum Adventure Playground
Melbourne Zoo – Growing Wild Project

Highly Commended
Circa 1886 Grotto Project
Merri Park Playground Project
Buluk Park Playspace Project

For more information on the awards and winners please visit http://www.kidsafensw.org/playground-safety/2014-kidsafe-national-playspace-design-awards/

No Helmet No Ride

The No Helmet No Ride Competition invited primary school students in Victoria to produce an illustrated story, a video, or radio ad with the theme of No Helmet No Ride. We received lots of creative entries, leaving our judges with some tough decisions to make! The winners were announced today at the National Kidsafe Day Launch.

Thank you to all the students and their schools for your entries and to the TAC for supporting the competition through the Community Road Safety Grants Program. To find out more about the competition and to view the very creative winning entries, please visit www.kidsafevic.com.au

Pregnancy, Babies and Children’s Expo

Kidsafe Victoria will be at the Pregnancy, Babies and Children’s Expo at the Exhibition Centre from this Friday the 24^th to Sunday the 26^th of October. Kidsafe will be distributing safety resources and advice throughout the weekend, so make sure you come along and say hello! Tickets for the event can be purchased via http://www.pbcexpo.com.au/Melbourne/?gclid=CKjS6IiNsMECFVgkvQodBDQACg

Sarah’s Walk

On November 21, Michelle Webster is hosting the second annual Safe Play Awareness Day. Michelle and her supporters will walk on the banks of the Mitchell River in memory of her daughter Sarah, who tragically lost her life in a backyard play equipment incident. The day will promote child safety awareness, with all proceeds being donated to Kidsafe Victoria. A big thank you to Michelle for organising such a great event and raising much needed funds to support our work in injury prevention.

Safety Tip of the Month

Product Recalls

Australia’s Power Brands Pty Ltd—Chicco KeyFit Plus Infant Car Seat fitted with Hemco Adjustable Tether Extension Straps The metal connecting hooks at either end of the strap may fail in the event of a collision, increasing the risk of injury to a child. Contact Australia’s Power Brands to arrange a replacement of the strap.
Funtastic Limited—Leap Frog Scout & Friends Baby Walker The stickers may detach from the phone piece of the toy, creating a choking hazard for young children. Consumers should contact the Funtastic Care line on 1800 244 543 to receive a replacement phone.
ALDI—’Jack ‘n’ Jill’ Wooden London Bus The figurines do not comply with the mandatory standard for toys and pose a potential choking hazard. Consumers should cease use of the toys immediately and contact ALDI for replacements.