Thousands of kids injured during school holidays

Christmas is a big time for injured children.

More than 7000 ACC claims for injuries to school-aged Tauranga children have been made during school holidays since April 2012.

Up to the end of this year's July holidays, the claims had cost ACC almost $3.4 million.

Tauranga City Council travel safe co-ordinator Angela Joyes said parents should keep in mind several things during the upcoming summer break.

These included ensuring children were suitably restrained in vehicles, ensuring children didn't distract drivers and ensuring children always wore helmets on their bikes.

Ms Joyes also suggested children wore safety equipment when on scooters, including a helmet, wrist guards and gloves, knee and elbow pads, and durable, sturdy shoes. Parents should also ensure children knew where they were allowed to play and stayed within the area, she said.

Nationally, more than 200,000 new claims were laid with ACC for school-aged children during school holiday periods between April 2012 and the end of the July holidays this year. The claims have so far cost ACC more than $69 million.

About 13,000 claims were made during term breaks, while an average of 28,000 claims were made during summer breaks.

Injuries often occurred in the lead-up to Christmas when parents were stressed and not necessarily watching their children as much as normal, Safekids Aotearoa director Ann Weaver said.

Injuries also happened at barbecues and other summer get-togethers when no adults in particular were watching children, she said.

"Absolutely let kids run around and have fun, but it's a good idea to have at least one designated adult keeping an eye on what the kids are up to."

Parents needed to think about what else was involved when buying Christmas presents, she said.

Trampolines, for example, needed to meet standards, be placed on soft ground and away from tree branches, and have rules, such as only one child jumping at a time.

"Trampolines are a big cause of falls for 5 to 14-year-olds. Wheeled objects such as bikes and scooters are also the cause of a lot of falls. If you're buying a bike, make sure you can also afford a helmet, or get grandma and grandpa or someone else to get the helmet because they considerably reduce the likelihood of serious brain injury when children fall off."

Ms Weaver also warned against buying a bigger bike so it would "last longer".

"Bikes need to be age and size appropriate."