Our activity safety standards
Updated July 27, 2026
Every activity on this site carries a safety note, and this page explains how we think about them and where the limits of that thinking are.
Hazard and risk are different things
This distinction runs through everything below.
A hazard is a danger a child cannot see and cannot judge. A rotten branch that looks solid. A small object that fits in a windpipe. Water deep enough to drown in that looks shallow. Hazards should be removed by an adult, always.
A risk is a challenge a child can see and can learn to assess. Climbing something. Using a real tool under supervision. Going a little further than last time. There is a reasonable body of thinking suggesting that age-appropriate risk builds judgement, and that removing all of it produces children who are worse at assessing danger rather than better.
Our safety notes aim to flag hazards clearly, while leaving room for the kind of risk a child grows through.
The specific things we always flag
Choking
Any activity involving objects small enough to be swallowed carries a warning, and we state the age below which we would not use it. This includes dry rice and pasta, marbles, small pom-poms, buttons, coins and jar lids. We also flag burst balloon fragments, which are among the most dangerous choking hazards for young children and are easily forgotten during clean-up.
Water
Every activity involving standing water carries a supervision note, including shallow bowls. Small children can drown in very little water and it happens silently.
Heat and sharp tools
Cooking activities specify that an adult handles the oven, hob and sharp knives unless the child has been specifically taught. Craft activities specify who does the cutting.
Allergies and ingestion
Activities using food materials flag that they are not for eating, and remind you to check allergies before starting. Salt dough in particular is very salty and should not be tasted.
Outdoor and natural materials
Foraging activities say clearly: no berries, no mushrooms, wash hands afterwards. Soil play notes the importance of covering cuts and washing thoroughly. Anything involving fallen branches specifies fallen, never cut from a living tree.
Strangulation
Any activity involving string, ribbon or fabric carries a note about nothing tied around necks, including on toys, so the habit itself stays safe.
What our safety notes are not
They are a starting point, not a complete risk assessment.
We do not know your home, your child, their abilities, their medical history, or what else is in the room. A note that says supervise closely means something different in a house with a crawling baby than in one without.
You are the person deciding whether an activity is appropriate. Nothing on this site removes that judgement, and nothing here is a substitute for it.
Age ranges are guidance, not permission
The age range on each activity reflects typical developmental stages. Children vary enormously, and the range assumes normal supervision for that age.
An activity marked from three years old is not a statement that every three year old should do it. If your child still mouths objects, or has a specific need, the stated range may not apply to them. You know that; we do not.
The independent marking
Some activities are marked as things a child can do alone. This means the task is developmentally achievable without adult help. It does not mean unsupervised in the sense of out of earshot, and it does not override any safety note on the same page.
We only apply that marking where a child at the lower end of the stated range could plausibly understand, sustain and finish the activity without assistance, and where the activity carries no hazard requiring an adult present.
Tell us when we get it wrong
If you believe an activity on this site is unsafe as written, we want to know, and we treat it as urgent.
Include the page address and your specific concern. We will review it immediately and amend or remove the activity if you are right. We would rather remove a good activity than leave a dangerous instruction up.
The general disclaimer
Everything on Kidoloo is offered for information and entertainment. It is not medical, psychological, educational or professional safety advice. Always supervise children appropriately, take account of their individual abilities and any allergies or medical conditions, and use your own judgement about what is safe in your home. See our terms of use for the full position.