Playgrounds are the perfect place for kids to expend their boundless energy, connect with friends, and enjoy the great outdoors. However, these fun factories are fraught with potential dangers. Follow these tips to help your kids avoid injury while sliding down slides, gliding on swings, and climbing the monkey bars.
Make Sure Kids Use Playground Equipment Properly
One of the quickest ways to sustain an injury on the playground is through the improper use of playground equipment. Kids are naturally curious, and they love to invent new ways of doing things. Though you normally want to encourage your children to be creative, letting your kids up with new uses for playground equipment can be dangerous.
For example, kids climbing on the top of tube slides is a big no-no. There are no railings or handles on the top of these rounded slides, and kids can quite easily slip off and hurt themselves. If a child were to fall off from this height they may even sustain a serious injury, such as a concussion or lost tooth. If your child ever loses a tooth in a playground accident, don’t panic. Instead, keep the tooth moist and seek emergency dental care from a clinic like Pedodontic Associates Inc immediately. To lessen the likelihood of such injuries, it’s best to use play equipment in the way it’s designed to be used.
Make Sure Kids Use Age-Appropriate Playground Equipment
Even using play equipment the right way may not be enough to ensure optimal safety. If a child is younger than the recommended age for certain play equipment they could still be at risk of injury. Check to see if there are any signs posted on the playground showing a recommended age for use of the equipment. If your child is younger or older than the recommended age, keep them off the equipment. This will not only help ensure their safety but the safety of other children on the playground.
Make Sure to Supervise Kids at All Times While on Playground Equipment
Often parents see visits to playgrounds as an opportunity to enjoy a few minutes of downtime while kids play. However, taking your eyes off your kids while they play isn’t smart. It only takes a few seconds for a child to do something risky that could cause serious injury. So put away your cell phone and enjoy watching your kids as they romp around. You may even want to get in on the action and play with them yourself!
Make Sure Kids Understand Playground Rules
It’s helpful for kids to know in advance what kind of behavior is expected of them on the playground. You can spare yourself and them plenty of hassle by spelling out safe playground behavior rules before letting them loose on the equipment. You could even give a quick demonstration of the right way to use each piece of equipment in advance. Let them know if a certain piece of equipment should only be used by a specific number of kids at a time. If they break the rules a quick time out on the park bench should let them know that you’re taking the rules seriously and expect them to as well.
Make Sure Equipment Is Safe before Using
Older parks in some areas may have outdated, unsafe play equipment. If you venture onto a new playground with your kids take a few minutes to inspect the play equipment. If you notice any equipment that’s rickety, has missing parts or looks like it would pose a safety hazard, keep your kids away from it. Better safe than sorry!
Childhood should be a time filled with plenty of carefree exploration and excitement. Don’t let preventable injuries get in the way of your child enjoying playtime to the fullest. By following these simple steps you can help your little one to make the most out of their playground experiences.
And if your little angel was hurt by a defective or improperly labeled piece of playground equipment, don’t shy away from seeking compensation for their injuries and pain from the ones in charge of the place at the time of the accident. What’s more, if your child fell victim to other types of preventable injuries due to somebody else’s negligence or recklessness, and was diagnosed with a life-long disability like cerebral palsy, contact a child injury lawyer today!