As a parent, you want to make sure to keep your kids safe at all costs no matter where they are. One place that you’ll want to make sure your kids are especially safe is on the playground. This can seem a little intimidating. After all, the playground doesn’t have amenities such as child locks like your house does. Luckily, there are steps you can take to ensure the security of your kids while they are playing on the playground.
Scope Out the Playground First
According to the American College of Emergency Physician, more than 200,000 kids come into the emergency room each year with injuries they got on the playground. One of the best ways to
preemptively avoid this is to scope out a playground before letting your kids play on it. Is there anything that looks unsafe? Is any of the equipment broken or damaged?
If a playground looks particularly run-down, you might want to consider moving to another playground. If the playground generally looks good but has a broken piece of equipment, you
should probably tell your children to stay away from that piece.
You should also make sure to pay attention to what the ground of the playground uses. Material that doesn’t absorb impact such as asphalt or gravel aren’t a good idea. Instead, look for
materials such mulch, wood chips, pea gravel, sand, or shredded rubber. Younger children such as toddlers might need flat ground to walk on safely such as artificial turf.
Make Sure That Everyone Is Dressed for Play
When you go out, you make sure that your children are dressed right. If it’s cold, they have a jacket. If they’re going out during the summer, you make sure they’re dressed to stay cool.
This mindset is important to carry over when you are getting ready for a day at the park. There are certain things that shouldn’t be worn because they’re easy to get caught or trip over. For instance, flip flops aren’t made for running around in. In addition, pieces of clothing such as skirts and dresses probably aren’t the best for safe climbing and playing.
Pay Attention to the Weather
The weather can be quite the adversary when it comes to a day out no matter where you’re going. You probably already cancel trips to the playground when it’s raining or supposed to rain.
You should also be careful when it’s particularly hot out as well. For one, you’ll need to make sure that your child stays hydrated and cool. More concerning, though, is that you’ll need to think about equipment getting hot as well.
Even if it isn’t very hot out, pay close attention to what equipment is in direct sunlight. In a report by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, they cite a situation in which a young girl received second-degree burns from a plastic side on a day that was 74 degrees Fahrenheit. With this story, they also warn parents that it isn’t just metal that should be paid attention to in the heat.
Keep Age in Mind
Sometimes playgrounds are meant to be for a specific age group. More often, playgrounds have different sections for different age groups. For example, the section for younger kids might have smaller slides or shorter equipment.
It’s good to pay attention to the age recommendations for equipment to avoid injuries. As an example, if you allow a child who’s young enough that they need a swing with a seat to play on
one of the “big kids” swings, they are likely to fall.
Set Down Some Rules
While you are watching your kids, it’s much easier to keep situations safe by getting their help. Before going to the playground, sit your kids down and let them know the ground rules for your day out. Telling your children not to jump off the swings or go down the slide wrong can go a long way in keeping the day safe and fun.
It’s also a good idea to tell your children why you are setting down these rules. When kids know that they are doing something to keep themselves and their siblings safe, they are likely to pay more attention.
Equip Your Children with Protective Gear
Wearing the right protective gear can significantly reduce the risk of serious injuries while playing on the playground. Items like helmets, knee pads, and elbow pads are essential, especially if your child is riding a bike, or scooter, or engaging in activities that could lead to a fall. Neoprene wrist braces can also be invaluable to protect young hands and wrists from fractures and sprains during active play. Ensuring that your children wear the appropriate protective gear for the activities they are engaging in can allow them to play confidently and safely, giving you peace of mind.Keep Your Eye Out
Finally, it’s best to keep your eye on your kids. It’s perfectly fine to spend time with the other moms and dads and have some fun, but don’t completely trust the fact that your kids will be safe no matter what. Even with ground rules, kids are usually pretty adventurous by nature and need a little guidance when it comes to finding the difference between a good and bad idea. By following these tips, you can make sure that the day out you have planned for you and your kids goes just as planned!
My biggest concern on play grounds is keeping my kids nearby and monitoring who is around. Safety on the equipment is super important to me too. Since its so hot here in the summer, we usually avoid the playgrounds in the heat of the day from May to September because of the swings and slides being so hot to the touch. Great tips!
ReplyDeleteThis is timely information. I have heard recently of several children who have been hurt while on playgrounds recentley.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of your tips! I pinned them too. But you can watch them and be by them and accidents can still happen! I don’t know why, but I still feel guilty about an accident that happened a long time ago, on a playground with me standing right there! I loved going to the park with my kids a lot when they were young! Well on this day, I took a bunch of neighborhood kids with us. The weather was great and we were happy to get out of the house! The kids were everywhere, but something told me to keep a close eye on the kids on the monkey bars. I was standing right by Robert and before I knew it, he felt off the bars and let out a yelp that could probably be heard for miles! I knew then it was serious and not to move him right away. Finally he let me help him up. I gasped! His arm from below the elbow was just dangling! I didn’t want to say anything to scare him any worse than he already was. I gingerly carried this solid husky ten year old boy all the way back to his home. His mom didn’t blame me at all - yes, she was my friend, but I was ready to take whatever she felt like saying to me! She just said that she knew something like this would happen to him, because he was wild and took many unnecessary chances. The next time I saw him, he was showing off his case and asking people if they wanted to sign it. So you can be the best mom and do everything by the book & still s#%\ happens!
ReplyDeleteYou are exactly right! Things can still happen. I was right beside my son when he fell and he bit his tongue so bad that we took him to the emergency room. They do nothing unless it is about to fall off and we know that now. But it was so much blood! He still has a scar on his tongue from it.
DeleteSafety playgroung is important. I know of children who cut injured while playing at school.
ReplyDelete