Playground Safety

Translations:

Person pushing a child on the swing. Text reads: Play it wise and supervise. Summer Fun - Play it Safe

Playing in playgrounds is great for your child's physical, social and thinking development. By staying close to your child, especially when they're trying something new or complicated, you can help keep playground visits safe and give your child the confidence to develop movement skills.

Playground safety is about supervising children and checking whether equipment is safe for them.

Playground Safety Tips:

Look for a playground with a fence around it. This will help to stop young children from running on to nearby streets. It also makes it much easier if you're looking after several children at once.
Look for a safe ground surface in your playground. The equipment should be set in a thick layer of material like organic mulch or soft rubber flooring, which will cushion falls. Check that equipment is well maintained, look for safe ground surfaces, and make sure that metal equipment isn't too hot to play on.
Check that the equipment is in good condition and the general environment has no obvious safety hazards, like sharp sticks.
Buckle your child into swings if buckles are available. Your child will be less likely to fall out.
Check the temperature of playground equipment like metal slides, poles, barriers and surfaces. Materials like metal, rubber and artificial turf can heat up in the sun and become hot enough to burn.
Gradually introduce children to activities on monkey bars, climbing frames, swings and slides, so they can build skills and confidence.