The Do's and Don'ts of Celebrating a Safe Holi with Kids

While the festival of colors Holi is just a few days away, everyone is looking for new innovative ways to celebrate it, especially kids. Even though Holi brings a lot of excitement and fun for kids, it is also known to be the second most dangerous festival after Diwali. Every year we hear about many unpleasant accidents that make this colorful festival more dangerous than enjoyable.

If you being a mother are very anxious about how to keep your little loved one safe during this Holi, here are a few Do's and Don'ts you can follow to ensure a safe and enjoyable Holi!

Also Read: 11 Fun and Wonderful Diwali Activities for Kids

When You Have a Baby

Do’s:

• If possible, try to keep your baby inside a close room because the loud music outside may harm his ears and dry colors inhaled through the air may cause him serious respiratory diseases or allergies.
• Before joining in the celebration of Holi, apply a thin layer of coconut/mustard oil or moisturizer on your baby's body. This will not only help you protect his skin from Holi colors but also will make it easy for you to wash off any accidently applied color.
• To reduce exposure to colors, dress you baby properly in clothes with full sleeves and full bottoms. Also, use a soft fabric scarf or cap to protect his head from an unexpected squirt of water.
• Keep things like foods, sweets or intoxicants out of your baby's reach as they are not safe for him either way. Instead, feed your little one according to his age.
• If you’re stepping out of your home, make sure to carry an umbrella to protect your little baby from unpredictable actions, like throwing color-filled water balloons by passersby. Also, be extremely attentive while passing near skyscrapers because things thrown from a height can cause more serious injuries to both you and your baby.
• Keep your baby from getting wet since it will put him at high risk of catching a cold. Even if your baby is a little wet, cold air can make him hazardously sick.
• Feed your baby well before you join in the Holi celebration. This will help you keep him full for a while. However, you’ll have to feed him again after some time. So before you get back to breastfeeding again, wash your whole body properly to make sure no colors will get into your breast milk.
• To be on the safe side, express enough breast milk in advance and store it safely. Doing so will prove quite beneficial to you, especially in case the color applied to your body takes a few hours to wash off. If such a situation arises, you can feed your baby the expressed breast milk.
• Avoid eating any kind of outside food as whatever you eat passes through your breast milk to your baby. Most of the outside foods are unhygienic and therefore, they may have an ill-effect on your baby. So be careful of what you eat during Holi!

Don’ts:

• Whether you’re celebrating Holi at your own home or a relative or friend’s house, never leave your baby alone - even for a second. There might be buckets/tubs filled with water or colors around, which your baby may drown in.
• Do not apply or let others apply any kind of color on your little one’s soft and delicate skin. However, to symbolize the festivities or follow the tradition, you can make use of organic saffron or sandalwood to place a teeka on your baby’s forehead. Again, make sure it doesn’t fall in his eyes.
• Do not let your baby touch colors at any cost. It could be extremely dangerous because he may swallow or put colors in his eyes.
• If a color gets accidentally applied to your baby, don’t let it stay on his skin for too long. Wash it off as soon as possible using a mild soap and lukewarm water. Otherwise, it may take days to come off.
• Do not allow other children to point Water Guns (Pichkaaris) or throw water balloons at your baby because the sudden splash of cold water can make him cry. Instead, if you really want to entertain children, allow them to throw some rose petals at your baby.

When You Have a Toddler

Do’s:

• As far as possible, try to use organic and natural colors made from vegetables, flowers, herbs, and leaves. Unlike toxic colors, these colors are skin-friendly, easy to wash off and don’t contain any kind of harmful chemicals.
• Before your kid steps out to celebrate Holi, make sure to apply coconut oil, petroleum jelly or cold cream to his entire body and hairs. Not only this will prevent Holi colors from sticking to his skin, but also it will help you easily wash off any colors, if applied.
• Keep your child away from intoxicating drinks like Alcohol. Needless to say how harmful they are for kids.
• Teach your child how to properly use the Pichkari (Water Gun). Ask him to use the Pichkari away from others’ faces, especially their eyes and ears.
• Keep your kid away from the Bonfire (Holika Dahan) on the eve of Holi festival.
• Instruct your child to close his eyes and lips tight when somebody throws colored powders or water at him.
• Dress your kid in full-sleeved shirts and full-length pants to completely cover his exposed skin. Also, to keep his eyes safe from harmful colors, ask him to wear sunglasses.
• To cope with any emergency, keep the first aid kit ready along with a bucket of clean water.
• And finally, be proactive! Always keep a list of important contact numbers, including your kid’s doctor, nearest hospitals, and ambulances, ready for any emergencies.

Don’ts:

• Never let your kid out of your sight, especially in crowded areas. This will not only help you avoid any untoward incident, but also will enable you to take an immediate action in case of an injury.
• Do not allow your child to play Holi with strangers. Instead, instruct him to play only with family members or a group of close friends.
• Do not let your kid play Holi with water balloons because they can hurt the person whom they are being thrown at. Instead, encourage him to play with a Pichkari (Water Gun), which is a much better option.
• Do not allow your child to play Holi with filthy things like mud, eggs, tar, varnish or any other material that is not suitable to play Holi with.
• If you kid is suffering from diseases like asthma, eczema, and bronchitis, do not let him step out during Holi celebration. Otherwise, his condition may get even worse due to dry colors presented in the air.
• Do not let your child put any colors in his mouth because if ingested, they can lead to a host of fatal consequences such as vomiting and poisoning.
• Do not wash or rub your kid’s delicate skin repeatedly. Doing so may irritate his skin. Instead, instruct him to bathe with lukewarm water once after the Holi celebration is over.
• To remove Holi colors from your toddler's skin, use a mild cleanser or other home remedies like lemon juice or a mixture of curd and sandalwood/turmeric powder with flour. Avoid using materials like kerosene, petrol and harsh spirits to remove the colors.
• Do not let your child eat cold foods and drinks, like ice cream, cold drinks, curd, and buttermilk. The changing climate during the Holi may make him more susceptible to cold, cough and fever.
• If color goes in your kid’s eyes, instruct him not to rub. Instead, wash eyes immediately with plenty of water. If he still experiences any kind of problem the eyes, take him immediately to the doctor.