It's great that most parents thinks that 'play' and 'fun' are a natural part of growing up...unfortunately, studies show that many parents also believe injuries are an unavoidable part of that process.
However, 90% of all injuries are preventable and many injuries to toddlers and children are a result of falls from playground equipment. While rare, there have also been cases where a child has died on a playground, most often from strangulation.
The top 5 ways to keep kids safe while playing are:
- Check the playground - Make sure equipment is safe and there is at least 6 inches of soft landing surface such as sand, pea gravel, or wood chips.
- Check your child - Take off all helmets, drawstrings, scarves and remove skipping ropes and anything that could cause strangulation.
- Supervise your child - Studies show that children are less likely to take risks in front of an adult. Also, children under 5 years old should not be on equipment higher than 5 feet (1.5 meters).
- Teach playground safety rules - For example, take turns, no pushing, use hand rails, go feet first.
- Stay clear - Teach children to stay away from swings, the bottom of slides and any other area where a collision might take place.
Northern Health Resources