We all know how much joy, love and fun a house full of children can be—but they also get into (and create!) messes at an astounding rate! Even when your whole property is meticulously childproofed, any parent can tell you you’re never totally in the clear. Fatal injuries in the home are still a leading cause of death in the U.S. Yes, maybe teaching your children the basics of home safety is a huge bore, but we here at Paul Davis Restoration of Dayton still think your family’s safety is our number one priority…boring or not! To that end, we’ve compiled a list of four outstanding children’s books to “edu-tain” your little ones! Here’s how families in the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley region can turn their kids into experts and scientists about backyard hazards, storms and emergency preparedness.

The wild world outdoors

1.     You know your stove poses a danger to your kids, but what about your backyard? Teach your kids outdoor safety smarts with Jeff Day MD’s Don't Touch That!: The Book of Gross, Poisonous, and Downright Icky Plants and Critters. This fun book, filled with history, activities and clever cartoons, humorously guides 3rd-6th graders through the wonderful world of the backyard! They’ll learn the basics about plants, insects, wildlife and ecosystems including which ones to avoid touching or eating (like the ever-present poison ivy which grows as a vine in the Great Lakes region)! Reading this book will be far from a chore for your little bookworms and will give you some peace of mind as well.

2.     Kids who live in the Great Lakes region may be used to thunderstorms, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t afraid of them! Help lessen their fear with Flash, Crash, Rumble and Roll, also by Franklyn M. Branley. The beautifully-illustrated book teaches new readers all about thunderstorms, how to perform your own weather experiments, and, of course, thunderstorm safety.

General home safety tips

3.     It’s never too early for kids to learn about fire safety! Stop Drop and Roll (A Book about Fire Safety) by Margery Cuyler is a funny, fictional book about a young girl who worries about everything—including having to demonstrate fire safety at an all-school assembly. But will her worrying keep her from succeeding? The great read teaches kids fire safety lessons and even includes a list of 10 safety tips.

4.     Once your child is old enough to stay home alone, a whole new realm of safety issues open up! Dottie Raymer’s A Smart Girl’s Guide to Staying Home Alone teaches older children the basics of staying home without you, including invaluable safety tips and quizzes designed to get them thinking about emergency situations ahead of time. The book also delves into basic first-aid, which can come in handy in the event of a blizzard or flood.