Children are at an age of rapid development. For holistic growth, it’s vital for them to have the proper guidance from parents, get regular exercise, have a balanced diet, a positive attitude and have social skills. Social skills are developed early as children interact with their age groups and among the early contributors are making friends through outdoor play.
Yes, playgrounds open the door for free play, which doctors recommend to be at least 60 minutes in order to help develop their physical, social, and cognitive skills. It lets them have the fun of their lives while they’re young. It can even help them create unforgettable memories and strong friendships.
Safety is always a concern. You can choose an outdoor playground because of its natural aspect and — let’s not deny it — open parks are often free. But, before allowing your children to have fun under the sun, you should first understand the disadvantages of outdoor playgrounds and natural play areas.
Unpredictable Tropical weather
Playing in outdoor playgrounds means your child is prone from rain, hail, or even snow, depending on the country you live in. If you live in the Philippines, the country has a tropical weather. This means that there are two seasons, which are the wet and dry seasons. The weather here is unpredictable, today can be rainy or sunny, or both can happen in the same day. Outdoor playgrounds mean there is no roof to protect the playground from rain or even the heat of the sun. This leaves children to be prone to colds or flu.
Exposure to dirt and dust
Aside from the absence of roofs, outdoor playgrounds are likely without walls. The absence of walls and roofs make the playground prone to dust and bacteria since it’s exposed to the outside world and is used by anybody who wants to use it at any time of the day. With this, allowing children to play in open playgrounds open the risks for them to have allergies, bacterial infection when wounded and even rust if the equipment is not properly maintained.
Risk of bruises or cuts
As a parent, you should watch out for playground equipment that could be damaged or unmaintained. Equipment that has not undergone maintenance for a long time is likely to break in an instant or rust all over. Imagine your child riding the swing that is enveloped with rust. Not only rusted swings break and throw your child onto the ground, which can inflict minor to major injuries, the rust can also affect your child as well. You should be able to double check the equipment first before even letting your child step in the outdoor playground.
Lack in safety structure
Compared to indoor playgrounds, its outdoor counterpart is not equipped with playmats that can absorb impact from children who fell down. The flooring of outdoor playgrounds is different. A park playground for example often has concrete flooring or soil. If the playground is lacking a safety structure, children are prone to risks of injuries, bruises, or cuts.
iREC Corporation designs and builds commercial playground equipment that are equipped with durable structure that is designed for safe play. For more information, call +63 47 250 2779 or email sales@irec.ph.