According to the Canal & River Trust, a charity that looks after 2,000 miles of waterways, parents with young children often experience a level of anxiety when they are near water.
Under its Water Safety for Little Explorers campaign, the charity has created a film reminding children and parents to 'take two steps back' from the waterside to stay safe, as well as a number of resources aimed at children under the age of five, for use at nursery and at home.
As part of this, the Trust is sending 2,000 nurseries along the Canal & River Trust’s waterways in England and Wales a copy of its storybook, ‘Quack, Quack, Take Two Steps Back’. Funded by the People’s Postcard Lottery, the book tells the story of Squirrel and Mouse, whose acorn ball falls in the water. With the help of their friends, they get their nut back and learn all about staying safe by water.
Online flipbooks in English and Wales are also available on the charity’s website.
Annette Simpson, national education manager at the Canal & River Trust, said, ‘For the millions of families living alongside or near them, canals and rivers are a back garden and first classroom. There are bugs to find, ducks to spot and boats to watch going through locks. It’s never too early to start talking to children about staying safe by water and our storybook is a fun way to introduce safety. Read it with your little ones and then practise taking two steps back with them when you visit the canal.’
- Click here to access the free resources