This World Drowning Prevention Day (July 25), Kids Alive and tonies® are asking Australian families to do one simple thing that could make a real difference – turn the screens off for an hour and spend that time teaching children about water safety.
The screen off idea is to encourage families to swap passive screen time for active water safety education, learning through music, stories, games and conversation - ultimately helping children build the skills and awareness that could one day save their life.
The campaign brings together two growing concerns for Australian families: children are spending more time than ever on screens, while drowning remains one of the leading causes of accidental death in children under five.
Australian health guidelines recommend children aged 2–5 have no more than one hour of sedentary screen time each day, yet Australian Institute of Family Studies data shows they're averaging more than two hours. At the same time, the Royal Life Saving Society Australia recorded 15 drowning deaths of children aged 0-4 last year, with backyard swimming pools remaining the biggest risk.
Emma Lawrence, National Operations Manager at Kids Alive, said the most critical window to establish safe habits around water was under five years of age.
"Children learn best through activity engagement, activities like singing, moving and playing. If every family switches the screens off for just one hour this World Drowning Prevention Day, that's an hour spent building skills that could genuinely save a child's life. Our partnership with tonies® gives families another fun, simple and screen-free way to make those lessons part of everyday life."
Lauren Best, Senior Marketing Manager at tonies®, highlighted the importance of supporting parents with screen-free alternatives that keep children entertained and educated.
"Our mission at tonies® has always been to give kids a safe space to enjoy hands-on, screen-free audio play and learning and provide parents with tools that foster imagination and spark curiosity. We are incredibly proud to partner with Kids Alive to turn screen-free play into a tool that can save lives. Learning water safety through stories and song means kids are engaged, and retaining these crucial messages," Best said.
As part of the campaign, families can
