Glossary
Inflatable pool
A blow-up or portable pool. Small ones should be emptied and put away after use; large ones need a four-sided fence.
An inflatable pool is a portable pool held up by air-filled rings or walls, from small wading pools to large backyard models. Because they are cheap and temporary, families often skip the safety steps they would use for a permanent pool. Yet even shallow water is a drowning risk for a young child: CPSC (opens in a new tab) says a child can drown in as little as 2 inches of water.
What the experts advise:
- Small wading pools: empty them completely whenever they are not in use, the AAP (opens in a new tab) says, and put them away, as Pool Safely (opens in a new tab) advises.
- Large inflatable and other temporary pools: surround them with a fence on all four sides, the AAP says.
- Always: watch children around inflatable pools and follow the maker's safety instructions.
Portable pools were involved in 5% of pool and spa drowning deaths of children under 5 in 2021-2023 (CPSC (opens in a new tab)). See inflatable and portable pool safety and the Empty inflatable pools after every use infographic.
What you can do today: if you have a wading pool, empty it and store it upside down or out of reach.