10 Tips for Playing Safe at a Playground

During the summer months, playgrounds get lots of use.  Use these suggestions offered by the National Program for Playground Safety National Program for Playground Safety to help insure a safe and fun-filled summer for you and your child.

• Actively supervise. Stay alert, move around, and always keep kids in sight, especially younger ones.
• Do not dress your child in clothes with loose strings (drawstring pants, halter-tops, etc.).
• Children should wear shoes at all times.
• Make sure the playground surface (underneath equipment such as swings, climbers, and slides) is mulch, sand, rubber matting, or pea gravel. Asphalt, concrete, blacktop, packed dirt, and rocks are not fall-safe.
• Check equipment for faults before allowing your children to play. S-hooks should be entirely closed, bolts should not jut out and all equipment should be firmly anchored to the ground.
• Go over basic precautions with your children, such as always taking turns, sliding down feet-first on a slide, watching out for other children before climbing down from a jungle gym, and never running in front of the swings.
• Allow your child to play only on equipment appropriate for her age. Play areas for 2 to 5 year olds and 6 to 12 year olds should be located in separate areas.
• Children should not play on ropes nor on swings that have wooden or metal seats.
• Bring along a first-aid kit; it can be something as simple as a zip-lock bag with some wet wipes, a few adhesive bandages, a tube of antibiotic cream, and an EpiPen, if your child is allergic to bee stings.
• Make sure you child wears sunscreen and stays properly hydrated.

The Community Art and Education Project is funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service .