Adult supervision and safe playground surface and equipment are extremely important but our years of experience as a Playground Surfacing for Playground Safety Distributor and Flecks System Distributor taught us that it only makes half of the equation. Children are responsible for the other half too. To make a trip to the neighbourhood playground safer, kids must know how to act responsibly within its confines.

What should you teach your kids about playground safety?

• Wear the right clothes

  The wrong clothing can cause injuries. Avoid loose fit clothes. Clothes that have drawstrings and cords can easily get caught in play equipment which can cause them to trip over or worse - get strangled. To avoid this from happening, make sure to teach your children to wear the right clothing. Moreover, if they are wearing a necklace, scarf, or helmet, teach them to remove these accessories before playing.

  It is recommended to dress your kids in long pants and shirt even when it is warm to provide additional protective covering over their skin. This can help prevent scrapes, sunburn, and bug bites.

• Be Mindful of the Weather

  During the summer, the temperature can spike up. Since most types of playground equipment are made of metal and aluminium, it can get really hot.

  For your children to avoid burns, teach them to feel the equipment's temperature by pressing their hand onto it. If it feels too hot, instruct them to keep away from it to avoid blisters and burns. Go back to the playground when the temperature kicks down or when there is enough shade.

• Beware of broken equipment and substandard surfacing material

  Kids are always excited to play. As a result, as soon as they arrive in the playground, they will immediately jump on the opportunity to use the available equipment.

  You must teach your children to check the equipment and the surface first. Do not let them use it if it turns out to be broken. It may seem to be a difficult habit to ingrain to your children but it can be achieved. An effective way to do this is to check the playground with them routinely.

  Have a quick walk around the playground with your children to check the equipment and the surface. Damages in equipment are easy to spot, however, the quality of surfacing is trickier. If you are not sure about the safety of the surface material, feel free to consult Play Surface Distribution.

These tips are extremely simple and yet it can go a long way in keeping your kids safe when playing. Before setting out on your next visit to the playground, make sure to have a short chit chat with your kids to set out these safety guidelines.