Summer is almost here, which means taking the kiddos to the park for playground fun. But before you march out the door, here are a few tips to keep your kids safe.
One of the easiest things you can do to keep your kids safe on the playground is to supervise them while they play. Before your kids get on the equipment, check it for rusted or hazardous surfaces, exposed bolts, or broken equipment. Once your kids start playing, it’s essential to set yourself up in direct line of sight, so you can monitor what’s going on and react to problems quickly.
Make sure your kids are dressed appropriately for the playground. Avoid letting them wear clothing with drawstrings or necklaces that can get caught on the equipment. That also means no princess dresses, capes, or flip-flops no matter how much they fuss.
Whether you have one child or more, encourage them to play as a group, so they can keep an eye out for one another and alert an adult if there’s a concern. It’s normal for some children to be shy when encountering new kids but try to help them understand that playing together keeps everyone safe and that they may find new friends. However, tell them that playing in a group doesn’t mean roughhousing, wrestling, or other activities that could cause injury around the equipment.
Most playgrounds have rules to keep everyone safe. Teach your kids that the rules are there so no one gets hurt, and everyone has a good time, so it’s important to follow them.
Many of us remember being kids and playing at the playground on concrete surfaces and the numerous skinned knees, elbows, and other injuries that came from that. Today, modern playgrounds have impact-absorbing surfaces like sand, wood chips, and shredded rubber to make the inevitable fall less painful and likely to cause injury.
Depending on the playground, it may be divided into age-appropriate areas and equipment. The National Program for Playground Safety says that children aged 6 months to 23 months should have an area where they’re free to crawl and walk. Children ages 2–5 years can include crawl spaces, ramps, low platforms, and ladders. Children ages 5–12 years will have fun on rope, chains, climbers, horizontal bars, sliding poles, and swings. You may hear some older generations scoff at playground safety, fondly remembering those scrapes, cuts, and bruises they got playing at playgrounds many years ago. But the fact is that playgrounds are more dangerous than you realize, and safety isn’t something you should take lightly.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, every year in the United States, emergency departments treat more than 200,000 children ages 14 and younger for playground-related injuries.
A study from 2001 indicated that approximately 45% of playground-related injuries are severe fractures, internal injuries, concussions, dislocations, and amputations.
The last thing you as a parent want is to rush your child to the emergency room with a skull fracture or concussion because they fell when all they wanted to do was have a good time.
If you follow these tips, your kids will have fun and live to tell the tale!
Kids R’ Kids at Avalon Park has a love for children at our core. We’re a family-owned facility operated by residents to prepare your child for their future education with our Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program.
Our spots are filling up quickly, so if you’d like to register your child, contact us today at 407-306-9035 or fill out our online form.
Keep an Eye on Them
Check their Clothing
Encourage Playing in a Group
Follow the Playground Rules
Be Careful with Rough Surfaces
Choose an Age Appropriate Play Area
Playground Safety and Why it is Important
VPK 2023-24 Registration is Open!
