Snake Safety for Kids
Ssspring has sssprung! And our ssslithery friendsss are out and about.
If the idea of a snake encounter makes you shiver, then this is for you.
Read on for our top tips on managing your fears around snakes, how to teach children about snake safety, and what to do in case of a snake bite.
Your Reaction Matters for Your Child's Safety
When it comes to educating your child about snake safety, there's no need to instill fear. In fact, you can impart these essential skills in a calm and playful manner, ensuring your child remains well-prepared and unafraid.
Your own feelings toward snakes can influence your child's perception and safety. If you display fear or negativity, your child may develop the same feelings, which might actually increase their risk. A scared child's sudden movements can unsettle snakes.
To keep your child safe, it's crucial to remain calm and maintain a positive attitude toward snakes, whether you're a fan of them or not.
Learn and Discuss Snakes Together
Begin your journey to snake safety by learning about snakes together, which might even change your perspective on these fascinating creatures. Here are some ideas to get started:
Discover the intriguing qualities of snakes. Did you know that to avoid predators, some snakes can poop whenever they want. They make themselves dirty and smelly so that predators will leave them alone!
Discuss why some snakes can be dangerous. Some possess venom, while others constrict their prey. Venomous snakes use their venom primarily for hunting and self-defense.
Read books about snakes. There are numerous delightful books that celebrate snakes, helping your child see them as they truly are, rather than as evil or dangerous beings.
Spring-time means Snake-time
Snakes are cold-blooded creatures. This means they rely on outside sources to maintain their body temperature. A snake's activity and body warmth are influenced by the temperature of the air and ground around them.
During winter, snakes become less active as their metabolism slows down, and they basically go into a hibernation-like state, conserving their energy. As spring arrives, they come out of this dormancy and enjoy the warmth of the sun.
They also get warm by resting on heated surfaces like asphalt, concrete, and rocks, which soak up the sun's heat, or by finding shelter under warm objects like buildings with metal roofs.
Snakes tend to stay inactive during extremely hot weather to avoid overheating. Spring is when they become more active and less cautious as they focus on finding food to replenish their energy after the winter and engage in breeding activities.
It's important to remember that snakes play a vital role in our natural environment. Snakes are a part of the food chain and serve as prey for various predators, including birds of prey and larger mammals. They contribute to the overall biodiversity of ecosystems. Plus, snakes can be indicators of ecosystem health. Their presence or absence can signal changes in environmental conditions or the presence of pollutants, making them important for ecological monitoring.
Prevention Is Key to Snake Safety
If you plan to visit areas where snakes may be present, follow these precautions:
Wear closed-toe shoes to protect your feet and ankles.
Walk with more pronounced footsteps, or “snake stomp” as we call it at Wildlings. Snakes can sense vibrations through the ground and are more likely to move away if they feel your approach.
Stay alert and keep an eye out for snakes. Remaining vigilant increases the chances of spotting a snake before it spots you.
Avoid disturbing snakes. Most snakebites occur when people provoke or threaten snakes by attempting to pick them up, throw stones, or kill them. Snakes only bite when they feel threatened, so leaving them alone is the safest approach.
Carry a first aid kit and learn how to provide first aid for a snakebite.
Remember, snakes are protected by law in Australia under the Nature Conservation Act 1992, and it is illegal to harm them.
What Should Your Child Do if They Encounter a Snake?
Remind your child not to panic if they come across a wild snake. The safest course of action is to stand still and wait for the snake to move away. Once the snake is a good distance away, about ten metres, your child can slowly retreat.
At Wildlings, we teach kids the “X-factor freeze” - where children freeze like a tree and cross their arms over their chest. This serves many purposes: firstly, it’s important to stay nice and still so that snakes don’t perceive them as a threat, and crossing arms over their chest is also like giving themselves a big hug! This helps children to remember that they’re ok, and then they can make good choices from a place of calm.
Then we tell kids to call out “X-factor snake!” and a playworker will come over and assess the situation.
Having a protocol for these situations and reviewing it regularly helps children to feel safe and prepared for a possible snake sighting.
Role-Play Snake Safety
After discussing what to do when encountering a snake, you might want to put it into practice by creating a craft snake and engaging in role-play. Hide the craft snake in your backyard and ask your child to act as if it were real. This activity can be both fun and educational.
Snakebite First Aid
It's a wise idea to familiarise yourself with snakebite first aid procedures. You can even reverse roles and see if your child remembers what to do if you were to get bitten.
While it's unlikely that your child will ever encounter a snakebite, being prepared and maintaining a positive attitude toward snakes, along with practicing snake safety during bushwalks and nature play, ensures that your child possesses the necessary skills should they ever encounter a wild snake.
There you have it - our quick guide to snake safety for kids. We hope this helps you feel a little more prepared for snake season this spring. Spotting a snake in the wild can be an incredibly exciting experience for kids, and it can be a memory that really sticks with them. With a bit of education and preparation, we can keep ourselves safe and still appreciate the beauty of these fascinating creatures.
If you’re curious about how we talk to kids about snake safety, come and join us at Wildlings Forest School these school holidays. For more information, check out our range of programs on our bookings page and connect with us on our socials @wildlings_forestschool.
We hope to see you in the forest soon! Stay Wild x
Written by Ellen Nesbitt. Ellen is a nature play advocate and creative writer with a passion for helping families connect with the outdoors. She is dedicated to exploring ways to nurture children's creativity, independence, wellbeing and love for nature.