Playground Safety Tips

A day out at the playground can be just the thing to get your kids active and enjoying some fresh air. It doesn't take much to please children. Give them a slide and a few swings and they will be happy for hours. But don't make the mistake overlooking potential dangers at the playground. Some rules should be put in place in order to protect your kids from unnecessary harm.

Start out by ensuring that the playground your children play at is appropriate for both their age group and their size. Playgrounds come in all sizes and forms. Some of them really are not for toddlers and pose many risks. If you have very young children, seek out a park that has baby swings and a small slide rather than equipment designed for much older children. Likewise, some areas are even designed for teenagers rather than younger kids. Determine the proper level of play for your kids.

It's a good idea not to leave your kids alone at the playground. Of course this is up to the parent and varies based on things like age, distance and length of stay. Accidents can occur and it would be unfortunate for a child to get injured and be too far away from home to get proper help. If you must send kids without a parent, send them in groups. It is always much safer in a group.

Be certain that your children know how to deal with things like strange people or strange animals. Knowing how to deal with a potentially dangerous situation makes all the difference when it comes to getting out of it. Children should also be taught to use playground equipment properly. Most accidents occur because of improper use of something. If kids know how to use the playground equipment it will eliminate them from taking too many unnecessary risks.

If you plan to be spending a lot of time with your children at the playground, it certainly does not hurt to take a First Aid kit with you. Even a small cut or scrape can be taken care in just a few minutes with some cleansing material and bandages. A good thing to have in your kit is some kind of eye wash in case something gets into an eye.

Pay attention to who else likes to use the playground with your kids. The most incidences of bullying tend to occur at playground when there are no adults present. Children can be vicious at times so pay attention to the goings on around your child when they are at play. If you have any reason to believe that something is not right, make a point to find out if there is something going on that you don't know about.

The playground is something that some of us never really outgrow. Spend time there with your children. It's a great place to get some much needed exercise and get away from the electronics. Prep your kids for safety and they will be just fine.