Children love to play outdoors and have fun with their friends.
I believe they should be encouraged to go out instead of just concentrating on kids' toys inside the house so they can take in fresh air and have some exercise.
We, however, must make sure that the playgrounds we set up in our own backyards are safe for use.
These are the main factors to consider when setting up a playground at home: 1.
Is the surfacing safe and adequate? We should make sure that play structures like swings and seesaws must have a protective surface of at least 12 inches underneath them and at least 6 feet in all directions to prevent serious injuries in cases of fall.
For swings, surfacing should extend twice the height of the suspending bar front and back.
Wood chips, mulch, sand, pea gravel, or mats made of safety-tested rubber are the recommended materials for surfacing.
Concrete, asphalt, and blacktop are unsafe.
Grass, soil, and packed-earth surfaces might be soft enough to caution a child's fall, but they do not make good long-term protective surfacing because they get eroded over time.
2.
Is the playground equipment structurally safe? We should check playground equipment for protruding portions, sharp edges or points, or open "S" hooks that can cause injury or trap clothing.
We should also check for equipment areas that can pinch or crush a small finger or hand.
3.
Are there potential traps or tripping hazards? We should put guardrails in elevated playgrounds to prevent falls.
The guardrails and ladder rungs in playground equipment must be less than 3.
5 inches or more than 9 inches so children will not get trapped in them.
As for tripping hazards, these would be those tree stumps, rocks, or other kids' toys lying on the ground.
We should also check for wet areas that can make the kids trip and fall.
4.
Are play structures well spaced? We should not keep play structures close to each other.
It is recommended that play structures more than 30 inches high are spaced at least 9 feet apart so when children fall down, they don't get injured by the nearby structures.
We should also set up swings, seesaws, and those playground equipment with moving parts in an area separate from the rest of the play structures.
When we set up swings, they should be at least 24 inches apart and 30 inches between a swing and the support frame.
5.
Are the play structures appropriate for the kids' age? When we choose playground equipment to buy, we should not only think of the fun the tots will have but also the appropriateness of the equipment to their age.
Play structures are designed according to age and maturity level.
Letting young children play with structures designed for older kids is unsafe because the size and proportions are not right for them.
Conversely, older children can get trapped in equipment designed for the younger ones.
As adults, we are not only responsible for supervising the children when they play.
It is our foremost responsibility to make sure they are playing with safe equipment.
I believe they should be encouraged to go out instead of just concentrating on kids' toys inside the house so they can take in fresh air and have some exercise.
We, however, must make sure that the playgrounds we set up in our own backyards are safe for use.
These are the main factors to consider when setting up a playground at home: 1.
Is the surfacing safe and adequate? We should make sure that play structures like swings and seesaws must have a protective surface of at least 12 inches underneath them and at least 6 feet in all directions to prevent serious injuries in cases of fall.
For swings, surfacing should extend twice the height of the suspending bar front and back.
Wood chips, mulch, sand, pea gravel, or mats made of safety-tested rubber are the recommended materials for surfacing.
Concrete, asphalt, and blacktop are unsafe.
Grass, soil, and packed-earth surfaces might be soft enough to caution a child's fall, but they do not make good long-term protective surfacing because they get eroded over time.
2.
Is the playground equipment structurally safe? We should check playground equipment for protruding portions, sharp edges or points, or open "S" hooks that can cause injury or trap clothing.
We should also check for equipment areas that can pinch or crush a small finger or hand.
3.
Are there potential traps or tripping hazards? We should put guardrails in elevated playgrounds to prevent falls.
The guardrails and ladder rungs in playground equipment must be less than 3.
5 inches or more than 9 inches so children will not get trapped in them.
As for tripping hazards, these would be those tree stumps, rocks, or other kids' toys lying on the ground.
We should also check for wet areas that can make the kids trip and fall.
4.
Are play structures well spaced? We should not keep play structures close to each other.
It is recommended that play structures more than 30 inches high are spaced at least 9 feet apart so when children fall down, they don't get injured by the nearby structures.
We should also set up swings, seesaws, and those playground equipment with moving parts in an area separate from the rest of the play structures.
When we set up swings, they should be at least 24 inches apart and 30 inches between a swing and the support frame.
5.
Are the play structures appropriate for the kids' age? When we choose playground equipment to buy, we should not only think of the fun the tots will have but also the appropriateness of the equipment to their age.
Play structures are designed according to age and maturity level.
Letting young children play with structures designed for older kids is unsafe because the size and proportions are not right for them.
Conversely, older children can get trapped in equipment designed for the younger ones.
As adults, we are not only responsible for supervising the children when they play.
It is our foremost responsibility to make sure they are playing with safe equipment.