These days, with all of the safety concerns about playgrounds and everything else, it can be tempting to keep children inside the house to play. However, this is neither realistic nor healthy. Children need to run around and be outside. Playgrounds are great places for them to do this, and to meet other children. However, it is important to ensure that the tire swings and teeter totters where they children play are safe and in good repair. There are lots of things to check when determining the safety of a playground. Here are a few.
1. Make sure that there is enough adult supervision. Ideally, you should be able to watch your child while he or she plays. But if you are unable to do this, make sure another adult you trust is there to supervise. If there are many children in your neighborhood who regularly use the playground, you could organize a schedule where all of the parents share responsibility for doing this.
2. Be familiar with the playground structure and potential problems. Even when children are always supervised, there are usually some areas of a playground that are hidden or obscured from view. All of the adults who spend time watching the children should be familiar with these areas, and should be sure to move around the playground rather than sitting in one spot.
3. Ensuring equipment maintenance. Someone should be checking regularly for rusty chain links or screws, so that the equipment does not suddenly fall apart while a child is playing on it. Make sure that this is done regularly and not neglected.
4. Make sure repairs are done. From the small details mentioned above, to larger, more visible issues such as chipped paint or broken ladders, playgrounds are in need of constant repairs. Someone needs to be responsible for ensuring that problems are fixed in a timely fashion.
5. Make sure the surfaces are safe. Children often fall from slides and swings and other playground equipment. It is important that they have a relatively soft surface to land on. Some playgrounds have cushioned surfaces built in. However, soft soil covered with grass can provide cushioning, too. The soil should be free of large rocks, which can hurt children if they fall on them.
6. Get in touch with the people in charge. Whether your playground is run by the parks department, controlled by a school, or privately owned, find out who is responsible for all of the maintenance issues mentioned above. Get involved. Offer to fund raise and volunteer your time to improve the playground.
Every child, regardless of where they live or how much money their family has, deserves to have a safe and fun place to play outside. No child should have to play among rusty swing sets and broken teeter totters. Creating a safe playground in your neighborhood may take some effort. It may require making phone calls, attending meetings, and rallying other parents who have the same concerns. It may even require getting your own hands dirty and making some of the necessary changes yourself. All of this is worthwhile if it enhances the safety and happiness of your child and other children in your neighborhood.
1. Make sure that there is enough adult supervision. Ideally, you should be able to watch your child while he or she plays. But if you are unable to do this, make sure another adult you trust is there to supervise. If there are many children in your neighborhood who regularly use the playground, you could organize a schedule where all of the parents share responsibility for doing this.
2. Be familiar with the playground structure and potential problems. Even when children are always supervised, there are usually some areas of a playground that are hidden or obscured from view. All of the adults who spend time watching the children should be familiar with these areas, and should be sure to move around the playground rather than sitting in one spot.
3. Ensuring equipment maintenance. Someone should be checking regularly for rusty chain links or screws, so that the equipment does not suddenly fall apart while a child is playing on it. Make sure that this is done regularly and not neglected.
4. Make sure repairs are done. From the small details mentioned above, to larger, more visible issues such as chipped paint or broken ladders, playgrounds are in need of constant repairs. Someone needs to be responsible for ensuring that problems are fixed in a timely fashion.
5. Make sure the surfaces are safe. Children often fall from slides and swings and other playground equipment. It is important that they have a relatively soft surface to land on. Some playgrounds have cushioned surfaces built in. However, soft soil covered with grass can provide cushioning, too. The soil should be free of large rocks, which can hurt children if they fall on them.
6. Get in touch with the people in charge. Whether your playground is run by the parks department, controlled by a school, or privately owned, find out who is responsible for all of the maintenance issues mentioned above. Get involved. Offer to fund raise and volunteer your time to improve the playground.
Every child, regardless of where they live or how much money their family has, deserves to have a safe and fun place to play outside. No child should have to play among rusty swing sets and broken teeter totters. Creating a safe playground in your neighborhood may take some effort. It may require making phone calls, attending meetings, and rallying other parents who have the same concerns. It may even require getting your own hands dirty and making some of the necessary changes yourself. All of this is worthwhile if it enhances the safety and happiness of your child and other children in your neighborhood.
About the Author:
Read more about Fix Those Teeter Totters!: Creating A Safe Playground For Your Child visiting our website.
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire