Hot tubs are a great way for kids to have fun and relax. But they can also cause the most tragic accidents if safety is not followed first.  Hot tubs should, as a rule, be enjoyed as family activity.  This could be a good time of bonding for the whole family.  Children should never be allowed to play or relax alone or unsupervised in a hot tub or even with friends of their own age. 
 
Research indicates that most injuries and deaths in a hot tub happen to children less than six years. The potential dangers a hot tub can pose to children must be understood by adults. Drains in a hot tub can create suction forces that are strong enough to trap a child's hair or other body parts. Being trapped can cause serious injuries or can hold a child under water and lead to drowning.

The hot temperature in a hot tub also poses danger to small children. A child's skin is much thinner and burns more quickly than an adult's skin. Since the skin of children is not able to regulate temperature as quickly as adults, it puts children at an increased risk for dehydration and overheating.  Children have been severely scalded by hot water in a hot tub. It is usually recommended that children under the age of 5 not be allowed in hot tubs because of their sensitive skin and the potential safety risks of a hot tub for children that age. Children between 5 and 12 years of age must be taught safety rules when in a hot tub.  

The first and foremost rule that children must understand well is that they must not go into a hottub without an adult accompanying them. For this reason, keep children from entering the hot tub when it is not in use, by enclosing it with a gate or use a cover that can be locked. Children should be taught not to jump into a hot tub, but slowly step into it so that their body is able to regulate to the temperature of the hot tub.
Teach the children to sit in a hot tub and not to play around.  No diving or jumping. "Hold your breath underwater" games should never be allowed. Set the temperature at no more than 104 F. Children should be taught not to change the temperature or fiddle with the temperature controls or jet regulators.  Teach the children that they must not be in a hot tub longer than 10 minutes. Long exposures to hot temperature can lead to dehydration, dizziness and nausea.

Teach the children to stay away from hot tub drains which can trap small children. Children with long hair should tie their hair. Children should not stick fingers, toes or body into drains. Adults should make sure that the hot tub has drain covers that prevent body and hair entrapment. Teach children never to use electrical equipment near a hot tub. Also, never use the hot tub before, during, or after a thunderstorm.