PLAYGROUND SAFETY
Playgrounds are a great place for children to exercise and develop new skills. Unfortunately, more
than 213,000 children are treated in emergency departments in the U.S. for playground-related
injuries each year.
PLAYGROUND SAFETY TIPS
- Remove bike helmets before playing on
equipment. Helmets can cause head entrapment
and strangulation when used on playgrounds.
- Wear closed-toe shoes during play.
- Do not wear clothing with drawstrings or jewelry
around the neck.
- Avoid trampolines, rope swings, swinging
exercise rings and trapeze bars.
- Check to make sure play equipment is
appropriate for your child’s age and ability.
- Always supervise your children on the playground.
CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN 6 YEARS
Young children do not have the upper arm strength,
hand grip size and coordination for some play
equipment. The following are NOT recommended for
children younger than 6 years:
-
Free-standing arch climbers
- Seesaws
- Parallel bars
- Log rolls
- Track rides
- Sliding poles
- Spiral slides
- Overhead rings
CONDITION OF EQUIPMENT
Not all playgrounds are safe. Injuries can be
prevented by checking the condition of the
equipment and surroundings before play.
- Do not use equipment installed over blacktop,
concrete, dirt or grass. Play equipment should
have sand, rubber, mulch or other safety
surfacing under and around it.
- Most injuries happen when a child falls from
equipment, especially if onto a hard surface.
- Stay away from equipment with rust, cracks,
rotten areas and loose or missing parts.
- In warm weather, play equipment can get hot
enough to cause burns. Check the surface first
before allowing children to play.
- Do not allow children to add strings, ropes or pet
leashes to playground equipment.
- The most common cause of playground-related
death is strangulation from clothing, strings or
ropes.
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Content provided by the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s