Facts About Outside Playground Equipment Safety

The outdoor playground equipment is a great way to entertain your kids and add more fun activities to their daily schedule. There is no doubt that outside playground equipment can greatly benefit the development of your children, physical and mental. To ensure great play, it is important to maintain your outside playground equipment. It should be regularly cleaned, inspected for safety and make sure your kids always play under someone’s supervision. You may wonder why. Simple. Regardless of how durable and child-proof outside playground equipment is, accidents can happen. And majority of parents are not even aware that certain rules should be followed when it comes to outside playground equipment. Here are some facts about outside playground equipment safety and what to do to prevent your children from getting hurt.

• Injuries Happen – You need to be prepared that once your child grows, he/she will get injured a lot. This is a usual thing when playing at outside playground equipment. Studies have shown that over 200,000 toddlers are admitted to emergency rooms because of playground injuries.
• Playground Safety Is In The Rating – You need to be aware of the fact that almost every playground has an age rating. And, maybe you believe that your kid is old enough to play in a particular outside playground equipment, take into account manufacturers’ age warning.
• Follow The Dress Code – Dress your kid in an appropriate clothes and shoes. Have your kid wear closed shoes, like sneakers and avoid dressing them in lace blouses that can easily catch on the outdoor playground equipment. Also, make sure they wear something comfortable to be able to freely climb, jump and run.
• Do A Visual Inspection – Pay attention on the anchoring of the outside playground equipment and look for any open s-hools, jutting holes or loosen swings.
• Check Out The Flora And Fauna – Make sure you inspect your backyard for anthills, beehives, dog droppings (if you have a pet), etc.
• Adult Supervision – Always supervise your kids when playing outside. Why? Your children will surely look for most unusual ways to play on the outside playground equipment.
• Your Kid’s Physique Matters – Pay attention to your child’s physique. Some kids have larger head compare to the body and this is very common in young children. Because of such physique, your child may get stuck in the playground equipment. Therefore, supervise your children at all times.