Spring time brings warmer weather and plenty of opportunities for kids to enjoy the sun and the outdoors. For most kids, this means playing in the park, a dip in the pool, biking around the block, hiking up a trail or camping even just in the yard. For moms and dads, this means being extra careful to keep their kids safe and healthy.

Here are some tips to help keep kids safe in spring.

Spring Allergies

Spring time usually brings with it airbourne allergens such as dust, pollens, grass and weeds. If your child suffers from allergic rhinitis, chances are he will probably be scratching, sneezing and coughing with a runny nose before the season is through. Uncontrolled allergies are not only cumbersome, but also put your child at risk of sinusitis and ear infections. They can also worsen asthma symptoms with wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and coughing.

1. Determine your child's allergy triggers

The best way to prevent allergy flare ups is to determinewhat allergen your child is allergic to. The skin prick test is quick and inexpensive way to accurately determine your child's allergy trigger, according to WebMD. It can be performed by your family doctor or an allergist.

During skin testing, small amounts of material that can trigger an allergic reaction, such as grass or mold, are pricked into the skin on the arm or back. It is then observed for an allergic reaction, such as redness and swelling or a raised bump at the pricked site.

2. Avoid exposing your child to what triggers his allergies. Mayo Clinic recommends the following measures to avoid exposure to allergy triggers:

  • Keep windows closed at home and in the car.

  • Avoid or limit outdoor activities in the early morning when pollen counts are highest.

  • Keep indoors on dry and windy days. The best time to come out is after a rain when pollens are cleared from the air.

Manage your child's allergy symptoms by taking medications.

3. Medications used to treat allergic rhinitis include antihistamines, decongestants and steroids.

To be effective, your child should take his medications just before the season starts and then take the medication daily all throughout the season.

Talk to your doctor about the best treatment for your child's allergic rhinitis as some medications are approved for children while others are not. However, if you want to use an over the counter medication for your child, make sure that you read the labels carefully.

Water Safety

Never leave kids unsupervised around water. Here are additional tips to keep your kids safe when playing around water:

1. Do not let your children play unsupervised when around a body of water even if they're good swimmers.
2. Teach your children how to swim.
3. Warn your children of the dangers of playing in canals and other fast moving water.
4. Wear a lifejacket when in a body of water while water skiing, boating, jet skiing and tubing.
5. Tell your children not to run or rough play when around water.
6. Secure all doors and windows leading to the pool area to keep young children from getting to the pool.
7. Place a fence at least 4 feet high around the swimming pool with self-closing and self-latching gates to prevent young children from accidentally falling in.
8. Place chairs and tables away from the pool fence to prevent children from climbing into the pool area.
9. Completely remove the pool cover before using the swimming pool. Children may get trapped under the cover pool.
10. Keep toys away from the pool area to prevent a young child playing with the toy from accidentally falling in.
11. Learn CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and AR (artificial respiration) for children.
12. Protect your children from recreational water illnesses by keeping germs out of the pool with simple things like taking a shower before swimming and cautioning your kids not to swallow pool water.

    Sun Safety

    Prolonged exposure to the sun puts your child at risk of skin cancer. Regular use of sunscreens can lower the risk of developing skin cancer, particularly melanoma, as demonstrated by a study published in the "Journal of Clinical Oncology" in March 2013.

    The best ways to protect your kids from skin cancer is to avoid prolonged exposure to intense sunlight and practice sun safety. The American Cancer Society has the following recommendations for sun safety:

    1. Avoid exposure to the sun when it is strongest--between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

    2. Seek for shade, particularly in the middle of the day when the sun is at its strongest. Teach your children the shadow rule: The sun is at its strongest when your shadow gets shorter than you.

    3. Use sunscreen and lip balm with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher. Apply generously and reapply after 2 hours or after swimming, toweling, or if your child is sweating profusely.

    4. Cover up with clothing to protect as much skin as possible when under the sun, such as a long-sleeved shirt, pants and a cap. Choose clothes that have tightly woven fabrics or those that you cannot see through when held up to a light.

    5. Ask your child to wear sunglasses to protect his eyes from UVA and UVB radiation. Use sunglasses that provide 99% to 100% UV absorption.

    Tick and Insect Safety

    Warmer weather also brings with it mosquitoes, ticks and fleas. Mosquitoes transmit all sorts of disease, including dengue, the West Nile virus and encephalitis-causing viruses. Ticks can transmit Lime disease and other serious infections, while ticks can transmit the infamous plague.

    The best way to avoid these illnesses is to avoid getting bitten by tick and insects in the first place. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the following steps to keep your children tick and insect safe:

    1. Use insect repellants when going outdoors. The CDC recommends using insect repellants that contain DEET, IR3535, picaridin, and para-menthane-diol products and some oil of lemon eucalyptus as they provide longer-lasting protection. Use the repellants according to the label instructions for safety and optimal effectiveness.

    2. Ask your children to wear long sleeves, pants and socks to limit the exposed skin to insect bites.

    3. Apply the insect repellent on the clothes instead of on the skin to prevent absorption.

    4. Wear light colored clothing to avoid attracting insects.

    5. Avoid places infested with ticks or with insect nest in general.

    6. Wash off insect repellant as soon as possible.