Tips to Prevent Playground Injuries

Author: Austin Stanfel

Watching your child enjoy the playground equipment should be a joyous occasion for parents. However, for many parents, the risk of their child injuring themselves is a major concern. This is only natural; everybody’s primary instinct is to protect their children from harm. This article will examine some simple tips to help you stop your child from injuring themselves at the playground.

One of the easiest ways to protect your child from getting injured as the result of a fall is to check the ground before you let your child on to the playground. Surfaces such as dirt or gravel will provide no support if your child accidentally falls on them. In fact, surfaces such as cement may cause serious damage if your child falls. If the playground floor is comprised of one of these surfaces, perhaps you should re-think letting your child play on that equipment. However, if it has a safer surface such as mulch, rubber, or safety tiles, the risks of your child accidentally hurting themselves as the result of a fall is much lower.

Another common way that children hurt themselves is by burning their hands and feet on hot playground equipment. Many play structures are made of metal, which absorbs heat on warm days, especially if the equipment isn’t in a shaded area. If a child touches this hot equipment, they may hurt themselves. For this reason, you should check the temperature of the metal before allowing your child to play on the equipment.

Checking whether the equipment has been properly maintained is a simple task that you can perform that will greatly increase your child’s safety. Having a quick scan of the equipment to make sure it is in good condition is a simple way to increase your child’s safety. Sadly, some playgrounds aren’t properly maintained. This can lead to several problems, including rust-forming sharp edges, which your child may touch, causing pain and potentially bleeding. Additionally, fixtures may fall during play, which could cause harm to your child. By checking that the playground equipment is in good condition, you prevent these potentially dangerous outcomes.

Finally, you should quickly check the area for choking hazards. Things like small rocks or loose nuts, if ingested, could block your child’s airways, causing them to choke. Checking for choking hazards will prevent this from occurring. Additionally, you should monitor your child when playing, just to make sure they aren’t going to put a potentially dangerous object into their mouth.

While the playground can be fun, both for children and parents, they do present some potential risks. This article has discussed what some of these risks may be and presented tips to help your child avoid them. However, the best way to prevent your child from getting hurt is to monitor them while they are playing, keeping an eye out for danger. Hopefully, by applying these quick tips, the next time you are at a playground, you can be sure that your child can enjoy themselves in a safe environment.