Doctors recommend that children have their daily dose of exercise every day. At least 60 minutes should be allocated to free play and the playground is the best place to allow them to play and make friends at the same time. But that doesn’t mean you can leave your children unattended.
Playgrounds are great. But, sometimes, there are playgrounds that are faulty. This can be because of old age or not regularly maintained. That’s a big no-no. If you look it up, there are a lot of accidents that involve playgrounds. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a study that revealed there are 20,000 children aged 14 and younger brought to the emergency departments for playground-related injuries every year.
As parents, be vigilant. Always double check the equipment if it’s still usable and well-maintained before allowing your kids to play with it. Playground maintenance is the responsibility of operators, but it’s your duty, as parents, to watch your children while playing.
To help further prevent injuries, read on these tips:
Tip #1: Start with Your Bag
Before heading out to the playground, make sure to pack your backpack with the essentials. The important stuff you need to bring with you is a first aid kit, water, and sunscreen. Children can become dehydrated as they continue to play, while sunscreen will provide UVA and UVB protection.
Tip #2: Choose the Right Clothes
Playgrounds are all about movement. There’s proper clothing that children should wear when they visit the playground. Before letting your kids run all around, remove their jewellery, scarves, purses, and clothes that have strings to avoid strangulation.
It’s also important to look at the weather when you’re going to the playground. During warm weather, children should wear lightweight clothes, while form-fitting warm apparel during winter or cold season.
Tip #3: Talk to Your Children
As parents, it’s important to talk to your children — and even their friends — about safety within the playground. Help them see the consequences of certain actions so that they’ll understand if it will cause accidents or injuries.
Tip #4: Report to the Playground Staff if You See Something
As mentioned above, it’s the responsibility of the playground operators to maintain the playground. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t report anything unusual. It’s also your responsibility to report anything that could be a threat to the children and even yourself to the playground staff. If you see any hazards in a playground, immediately call the attention of the staff so that it could be immediately fixed.
Safety is the playground is important. If every visitor in the playground knows the safety rules, and playground operators regularly maintain the equipment, then playgrounds would be a safer place. Even though this is the case, it’s still better to become vigilant before, while, and even after children are playing to ensure their safety.
On the other hand, playground owners should contact reliable manufacturers to ensure the durability of their commercial playground equipment. iREC is an indoor playground manufacturer that has a track record in safety and recognised by international organisations. With our experience of more than a decade, we can assure you the equipment made is durable and high-quality. Call us at +63 47 250 2779 / +63 047 251 3139 or email sales@irec.ph to get in touch with our sales representative and start building a fun and safe playground.