| Playgrounds and outdoor playground equipment | | | | The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| can offer your child enjoyment, fresh air, and | | | | funds the National Program for Playground Safety |
| exercise, but they can also pose some safety | | | | (NPPS), which works to prevent |
| hazards. Faulty equipment, improper surfaces, and | | | | playground-related injuries by establishing detailed |
| careless behavior are just a few of the dangers | | | | guidelines for safe playgrounds. According to the |
| that cause children on playgrounds to visit hospital | | | | NPPS, the most important factors in evaluating |
| emergency departments. To ensure that your | | | | the safety of any playground are surface, design |
| children have the safest playground environment | | | | and spacing, equipment installation, and |
| possible, follow these guidelines.o In the United | | | | maintenance. |
| States, a child is injured on a playground every 2 | | | | The following types of equipment are not meant |
| 1/2 minutes.o More than 200,000 children each | | | | for safe playgrounds:o animal figure swingso glider |
| year are treated in emergency departments for | | | | swings that hold more than one child at a timeo |
| playground-related injuries.o More than 75% of | | | | swinging ropes that can fray, unravel, or form a |
| playground injuries occur on a public playground.o | | | | noose (any kind of rope attached to play |
| Most playground injuries involve falls, and over half | | | | equipment poses a strangulation hazard, so never |
| of the time the child's head and face is hurt.o | | | | let your child tie jump ropes or leashes onto the |
| Most of these injuries are preventable with proper | | | | equipment)o exercise rings (as used in |
| supervision and safer playground equipment and | | | | gymnastics) and trapeze barso Monkey bars: |
| design. | | | | although people use the terms monkey bars, |
| You can make the playground a place that's | | | | jungle gyms, and climbing equipment |
| entertaining and safe for your children by checking | | | | interchangeably, actual monkey bars are a specific |
| equipment for potential hazards and following | | | | type of climbing equipment with interior bars onto |
| some simple safety guidelines. In addition, teaching | | | | which a child may fall from a height greater than |
| your kids how to play safely is important: if they | | | | 18 inches. In the early 1980s, the CPSC stated |
| know the rules of the playground, it's less likely | | | | that monkey bars were unsuitable for |
| they'll become injured. | | | | playgrounds. |
| Safety Guidelines | | | | |