Playgroud Safety Tips

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Playground Safety This Summer!!!

 

Remember when summer meant freedom, going barefoot and sticky Popsicles?

 

As the days get warmer, you can help your child have fun and be safe at the playground.  Following are some tips you should consider when your children are at a playground:

  1. Supervise your child at all times.  Your presence is needed to watch for dangers.
  2. Actively supervise your child.  Look for ways you can help them enjoy the equipment.
  3. Remove strings on clothing that could be a choking hazard.
  4. Match your child with a playmate.  Check with your Boys and Girls Club, ARC Chapter, United Way, neighborhood children, church, school, and YMCA.
  5. Always have your child play on developmentally-appropriate equipment.  Look for playgrounds with separate equipment for younger children and school-aged children.
  6. Be careful when your child tries new things.
  7. Talk with your child about safety.
  8. Look for areas where your child can slide or crawl on their own.
  9. Educate your child’s caregivers on how to supervise your child’s play.
  10. Make sure your child carries ID, just in case you are separated for any reason.

 

Falls are cushioned by soft surfaces.

Did you know that over 70% of all playground injuries are related to falls?  Avoid playgrounds with surfaces of concrete, asphalt, grass, blacktop, packed dirt or rocks.  Good surfaces should have wood chips, mulch, sand or pea gravel.  Be prepared for emergencies.  Bring a first aid kit.  Know where a phone is and have emergency phone numbers handy.  The Micro-viewer can hold all emergency information and can be easily attached to clothing, purses, shoes, necklaces, etc.

 

Safe Equipment Checklist:

  1. Make sure equipment is anchored safely in the ground and is in good working order.
  2. Be sure spaces in equipment are less than 3.5 inches or greater than 9 inches to prevent children from getting caught.  Be sure loose-fill surfacing is 12 inches deep.
  3. Teach your child how to safely use playground equipment.
  4. Encourage your child to use developmentally appropriate equipment.
  5. Look for broken or missing parts.

 

Adapted from the National Program for Playground Safety. “Keep Your Children SAFE: A Quick Checklist for Parents.” and The Children’s Hospital and Medical Center in Seattle.

 

 

 

 Is the playground safe for my child with special needs? Talk with your child’s therapists, teachers, doctors and other care providers about your child’s unique needs.  Make sure your child has The Medical Micro-viewer.  In case of emergency this item can display the customized medical information your child requires.  It is the size of a nickel and can be worn on clothes, shoes or on a necklace.

 

Remember when summer meant when your skin was washed with the warmth of the sun and cooled with the mist of the sprinkler?

 

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that playgrounds be accessible.  The guidelines below will help you figure out if a playground is accessible to your child and what to do if it isn’t.

 

ADA guidelines require that:

  1. Children in wheelchairs can move around on the playground surface or path to the play area.

2.       There are transfer ramps with wheel stops and guardrails for children to get on to higher equipment.

  1. There is separate equipment for all developmental levels.
  2. The playground equipment and surface are maintained.
  3. There is space for adults to help children play on the equipment.
  4. All openings on an elevated play platform are limited in width.
  5. There are hands-on areas for children sitting in wheelchairs.

 

What to do to change your child’s playground:

  1. Contact the playground owner or operator.
  2. Create a group of interested volunteers
  3. Collect info and find out what the problems are.
  4. Develop a plan to improve the safety of the playground.
  5. Find out about new equipment and surfacing.

 

For help with planning a safe and accessible playground:

Check out the following organizations:

The National Program for Playground Safety

www.uni.edu/playgorund

Boundless Playgrounds

www.boundlessplaygrounds.org

 

Adapted from the National Program for Playground Safety. “Keep Your Children SAFE: A Quick Checklist for Parents.” and The Children’s Hospital and Medical Center in Seattle..