Kids’ Health – Playground Safety Tips For Toddlers and School Age Kids
The playground is one of the fun places where kids can enjoy playing and also have fresh air compared to playing indoors. Not only it is fun but can largely contribute to good health. This is the reason why most parents would rather want their kids play at the playground rather than at home where there are potential damages to the appliances where kids may be left unattended. However, it is undeniable that though this may be true, the playground also posed hazards to the kids where accidents and injuries are likely to happen by use of playground equipment and also, the manner how the kids play carelessly. Nonetheless, there are playground safety tips for toddlers and school age kids that can guide parents and guardians how to ensure the safety of the kids while they enjoy their leisure.
Equipment safety and security. Swings, teeter-totters, monkey bars, slides, and sandboxes are some of the playground equipment utilized for leisure. It is important that these are checked against faulty and loose screw, cracks and other damages that can cause injuries.
Second to the playground safety tips for toddlers and school age kids is to check the availability of playground attendant. It is necessary that you know to whom you are going to report any discovered holes or cracks at the surface or the defects of the playground equipment that can cause probable injuries to the kids.
Supervision. It is recommended that kids and toddlers are supervised at all times.
Keep kids away from foreign material. Kids love to put anything in their mouths. You should be able to check the sandbox if there are any foreign materials those kids may likely eat.
Watch the surface of the playground. Not only should you check for presence of broken glasses and the like, but also if the surface is slippery for being watered.
Dress up the kids safely. Do not allow kids to wear clothes with drawstrings, same as with hoods. Drawstrings, hoods, purses, and necklaces could get caught on equipment and may cause injuries to the child.
Another playground safety tip for toddlers and school age kids is to ensure playing the equipment safely. When the kids play with the swings, make sure that no one is behind or in front of them. Conversely, kids should keep a safe distance from the swings if it is being used to avoid being hit. Meanwhile, it is suggested that children below the age of four should not be allowed to use any climbing equipment.
Bring water and first-aid kit to the playground as well as extra clothes and handy wipes. Kids can mess up and get dirty while playing not to mention how much they sweat. It would be better to have them cleaned and dressed up after playing. Also keep them hydrated with water. In addition, though we may expect that there are personnel to give first-aid, it would be best to bring your own for immediate response to any accidents.
While every playground has to comply with the National Safety Council and the National Recreation and Park Association for safety procedures, it is recommended that you are able to check the playground prior to use by the kids to ensure playground safety for kids and toddlers.
