The kitchen is the heart of the home, especially at Thanksgiving. Kids love to be involved in holiday preparations. Safety in the kitchen is important, especially on Thanksgiving Day when there is a lot of activity and people at home. Thanksgiving is the leading day for home fires involving cooking equipment, at three times the average number per day.

• Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking on the stove so you can keep an eye on the food.
• Stay in the home when cooking your turkey and check on it frequently.
• Avoid oil frying your turkey.
• Keep children away from the stove. The stove will be hot and kids should stay 3 feet away.
• Make sure kids stay away from hot food and liquids. The steam or splash from vegetables, gravy or coffee could cause serious burns.
• Keep the floor clear so you don’t trip over kids, toys, or bags.
• Keep knives out of the reach of children.
• Be sure electric cords from an electric knife, coffee maker, plate warmer or mixer are not dangling off the counter within easy reach of a child.
• Keep matches and utility lighters out of the reach of children — up high in a locked cabinet.
• Never leave children alone in a room with a lit candle.
• Make sure your smoke alarms are working. Test them by pushing the test button.

For more safety tips about cooking and safety activities for the whole family visit Cooking Safety.