No child can stay cooped up inside all the time. While it is easier to monitor your children while they are in your house, it is neither healthy nor realistic to restrict them to staying inside. All children need time in the outdoors, at a park or a playground where they can meet and interact with other kids. However, there are some safety concerns to think about, especially with playground equipment like swing sets, teeter totters, and slides. The are lots of things to keep in mind when assessing the safety of a playground. Here are some things to consider.
1. Make sure the children are always supervised. While you might want to personally supervise your child at the park or playground, work and other commitments can make this difficult. Even when you cannot be there, it is important that another trusted adult is present. One thing to consider is forming a schedule with the parents of other kids who use the playground regularly, so that the responsibility for supervision is shared.
2. Become aware of the playground's layout. Kids are very good at finding hidden spaces to get into mischief. Everyone who shares supervision responsibility should know where these areas are in the playground. Supervision should include walking around and making regular passes by these problem spots, to ensure that mischief does not turn into danger or injury.
3. Equipment maintenance is another huge issue. It is easy to forget about details like rusty screws and weak chain links on swings. These things can result in injury if they are neglected for too long. Find out who is in charge of maintaining the playground's equipment, and whether they regularly check for these things.
4. Make sure that things get fixed. Checking for problems is the first step, but fixing them is the necessary conclusion. Whether it is a tiny detail, or a larger issue like a broken ladder or a rusty slide, there needs to be a system for resolving problems in a timely manner.
5. Assess the safety of the areas surrounding swing sets, slides, see-saws, etc. Not every playground can afford to put down the popular foam cushioning that several of them have. If your playground does not have this, make sure the dirt around the equipment is safe and free of large or jagged rocks. Planting grass can also be helpful.
6. Know who is in charge. Is the playground owned by a school? Does a private organization control it? Is it maintained by the town parks and recreation department? Get in touch with the people in charge. Find out what help they need in maintaining the playground, whether it is fundraising or something else.
All children, regardless of family income or place of residence, should have a safe outside space where they can run and play. Broken teeter totters and rusty slides should be fixed. Making sure that your neighborhood playgrounds are safe might require some personal effort. You might need to network with people, including those who control the park and the other parents whose children play there. Remember that all of this work is helping to create a safe space for your own child and other neighborhood children.
1. Make sure the children are always supervised. While you might want to personally supervise your child at the park or playground, work and other commitments can make this difficult. Even when you cannot be there, it is important that another trusted adult is present. One thing to consider is forming a schedule with the parents of other kids who use the playground regularly, so that the responsibility for supervision is shared.
2. Become aware of the playground's layout. Kids are very good at finding hidden spaces to get into mischief. Everyone who shares supervision responsibility should know where these areas are in the playground. Supervision should include walking around and making regular passes by these problem spots, to ensure that mischief does not turn into danger or injury.
3. Equipment maintenance is another huge issue. It is easy to forget about details like rusty screws and weak chain links on swings. These things can result in injury if they are neglected for too long. Find out who is in charge of maintaining the playground's equipment, and whether they regularly check for these things.
4. Make sure that things get fixed. Checking for problems is the first step, but fixing them is the necessary conclusion. Whether it is a tiny detail, or a larger issue like a broken ladder or a rusty slide, there needs to be a system for resolving problems in a timely manner.
5. Assess the safety of the areas surrounding swing sets, slides, see-saws, etc. Not every playground can afford to put down the popular foam cushioning that several of them have. If your playground does not have this, make sure the dirt around the equipment is safe and free of large or jagged rocks. Planting grass can also be helpful.
6. Know who is in charge. Is the playground owned by a school? Does a private organization control it? Is it maintained by the town parks and recreation department? Get in touch with the people in charge. Find out what help they need in maintaining the playground, whether it is fundraising or something else.
All children, regardless of family income or place of residence, should have a safe outside space where they can run and play. Broken teeter totters and rusty slides should be fixed. Making sure that your neighborhood playgrounds are safe might require some personal effort. You might need to network with people, including those who control the park and the other parents whose children play there. Remember that all of this work is helping to create a safe space for your own child and other neighborhood children.
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