The debate over whether today’s playgrounds are safe, or unsafe, for children has raged for quite some time now. Every parent feels differently, with some becoming overprotective, and others stressing the belief that they grew up playing on “normal” playgrounds, and they turned out just fine. With active supervision, and just a few basic safety tips, active play on playground equipment slides can be safe every day of the week.
The cold hard facts state that falls are the most common type of injury on the playground. A lack of parental supervision is responsible for about 45 percent of all playground accidents as well. No matter what type of Playground Equipment Slides you have, or how safely they are constructed, you are going to have accidents if no parental supervision is involved when children are playing.
Parents need to actively keep their eyes on their children when they are playing. This does not mean losing yourself in a book, or texting constantly on your cell phone. It should not be hard to keep an eye on your child, as they will probably be calling your name, asking you to watch them swing or slide anyway. Children love to show off for their parents on the playground, and you should let them.
You should take your children to playgrounds that have shock absorbing surfaces as well. It is a lot less likely that they will get hurt on rubber or sand, than concrete. Even wood chips and mulch beat grass and dirt, when it comes to falling.
Make sure that your child dresses the right way for the playground. Leave choking hazards such as scarves, and necklaces at home. Even helmets can become dangerous on the playground, so save those for bike riding instead.
You should teach your children that pushing, pulling, crowding, and shoving are not allowed on the playground. If you see them behaving in this manner, a timeout is called for. In short, many playground accidents could easily be avoided, if parents spent more time watching their children, than texting on their phones. Safe equipment is important, but so is active parenting.
