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Building your lemonade stand is bound to be fun, but as with any woodworking project, you’ll need to exercise a few safety precautions. Please consider the following tips before getting started to ensure you stay safe and sound during construction:

Ask an adult for help. Ideally, you’ll want to have a responsible adult help you build your stand. He or she may not be knowledgeable about construction, but an adult can keep an eye out for dangers you may not see.

Know how to use your tools. Make sure you fully understand how to use all the tools you’ll be working with and the dangers associated with each. Never rush through the building process, as even a second of carelessness can result in injuries.

Have a first aid kit handy. If you do get hurt, a first aid kit will be your best friend. You can buy one at a local market or make your own. Simply gather a few bandages, tweezers, rubbing alcohol, cleansing pads and eyewash.

Wear safety glasses. Protect your eyes with a pair of wraparound safety glasses or goggles. No lemonade stand is worth losing your eyesight over. So cover up those precious peepers!

Wear close-toe shoes. Your clothing choices are important. Wear boots or sneakers to minimize injury in case you drop something heavy on your toes.

Work in a dry area. Shock and electrocution are always a risk when working with power tools. Help control those dangers by making sure your workspace is dry. Put open cups out of range of your power tools, and make sure the ground isn’t wet. Never use power tools in the rain.

Check cords. Look for frays, tears and exposed wires that could potentially cause electric shock.

Have access to a fire extinguisher. Ask your parents for a small fire extinguisher so that if a fire starts you can put it out immediately. Make sure you know how to use it beforehand!

Wear earplugs if you’re using power tools. These tools can be very loud and can damage hearing, now or later in life. Just stick a couple of earplugs in your ears and get to work!

Have fun, and be safe!