Playgrounds are the places where children make the best
memories of their childhood. They not only laugh and play but learn many new
experiences on the playgrounds. Not only this, playgrounds play a significant
role in shaping the social behaviors of kids and making new friends.
Although commercial
playground equipment today is safer than the previous years,
there is always a chance of getting injured while playing at the modern
playgrounds. There are many playground-related injuries that are a major threat
to our children’s lives. Today, we have come up with four ways you can make the
playgrounds safer for your kids.
1. Supervise kids play
Adult supervision is one of the key components of playground
safety strategy. We can better control how our kids play under our
supervision. When adults are around the kids when they are playing using
playground equipment, they make sure that the kids do not engage in any risky
game activity. Adults help kids understand the distance from the equipment, and
ensure that elder kids do not violate the playing limits. Even if you don’t do
anything, having parents or caregivers around help kids regulate their playing
behavior.
2. Safety Instructions
If you are advocating for the safety of the children on the
playground, then the first thing would be to make sure that the outdoor playground equipment in the playground
meets the safety standards of watchdog organizations. Look for the
recommendations of The Consumer Product Safety Commission. From the
past few decades, advancements in technology have produced new playground
equipment. As a result, there have been changes to the surface requirements and
safety guidelines. Some of the basic guidelines that should not be missed
include:
a) Proper
labeling and signage on the equipment
b) Sightline to track the children anywhere in the playground
c) Safe surface materials including engineered wood fiber, sand, and pea gravel
3. Maintenance
Once you have safe and modern equipment in place, it is also
important to keep checking it periodically to ensure it is working optimally.
Proper maintenance makes sure that the playground equipment is in safe working
order. Any obstruction like rocks or stumps of trees must be cleared from the
playground area. Soft seats must be installed in place of metal or wooden swing
seats. There should not be any sharp edges, instead, make them smooth. All the
platforms must be timely repaired. There is another safety rule that the
cushioned surface should extend at least 6 feet beyond the equipment. Finally,
replace all the worn out materials to avoid any dangerous situation.
4. Use Age-Related Equipment
Playground equipment today is made according to
the age groups and ability levels. It is important to ensure that any equipment
that your kids play with must be age-appropriate. Similarly, there is a ladder
height of 60 inches for kids in their preschool years. Moreover, age guidelines
must be clearly displayed on the playground equipment.
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