For young children especially, the traditional Christmas Tree can be tempting to touch. From the bright lights to the shiny ornaments and neatly wrapped presents there is just so much to explore. While the holidays are an exciting and busy time of year, however, they can also pose many hazards to children. When preparing to celebrate the holidays, keep the following things in mind to help keep the children you care for safe.

• The Tree. Keep trees on a flat surface, with height evenly distributed. Children are naturally drawn to the lights and decorations, causing them to touch and pull at the items on the tree. Homemade or commercial tree preservatives (especially if they’re made with bleach and vinegar or alcohol) can harm your children or pets if they drink them. Use only plain water in tree stands. Also, if swallowed, needles can cause painful cuts in the mouth and throat, so clean up fallen needles quickly.

• The Plants. Keep poisonous plants out of reach of children, including Holly (especially the berries), Poinsettias, Mistletoe, Jerusalem Cherry and Bittersweet. For a list of non-poisonous plants safe around children go to www.iowapoison.org/prevention/fall–winter-precautions/winter-holidays/holiday-plants/. If accidental ingestion occurs, call the Poison Control Center at 800-222-1222.

• The Batteries. Be aware of devices and decorations with button batteries. Button batteries are a choking and ingestion hazard to children so keep them out of reach of children.

• The Power Strips. Use power strips with a circuit breaker and avoid plugging in too many items. Keep all cords out of reach of children.

• The Decorations. Shiny tinsel and sparkly ornaments can also be choking hazards. As a general rule, if it’s small enough to fit in the mouths of babies and toddlers, it’s too small to play with. Plus, fragile glass ornaments can break easily and cause cuts. Keep all of these potentially dangerous decorations high on the tree — or better yet, skip them altogether until your children are older. Avoid using breakable ornaments and if in use keep them up and out of reach of children.

• The Lights. Turn decorative lights off when not home or in the building. Regularly check for frayed or exposed wires and loose connections. The State Fire Marshall office includes the following for safety with lights:

• Holiday lights shall be Underwriter’s Laboratories approved as they have been tested to meet safety standards.

• Lights should be plugged directly into the wall. No extension cords.

• Lights should not be hung from the sprinkler heads or sprinkler system pipes.

• Lights must be at least 18 inches away from all sprinkler heads.

• Lights should not obstruct any exit path.

For more information regarding keeping children safe during the holidays, visit the Safe Kids Worldwide website at www.safekids.org/holiday-safety-tips.

The Iowa River Valley Early Childhood Area Board wants to wish the public a safe and merry holiday season.

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Carrie Kube is a Director for the Iowa River Valley Early Childhood Area Board.