April 23-27, 2018 is National Playground Safety Week. By sharing playground safety messages to communities, we hope to keep individuals free from playground injuries. According to Safe Kids Worldwide, over 75 percent of all playground-related injuries are falls, and lack of or improper supervision is associated with about 45 percent of these injuries.
Use these tips to avoid playground injuries in children:
Actively supervise children on playgrounds.
Take your kids to playgrounds with shock-absorbing surfaces such as rubber, synthetic turf, sand, pea gravel, wood chips or mulch. If your child falls, the landing will be more cushioned than on asphalt, concrete, grass or dirt.
Dress appropriately for the playground. Remove necklaces, purses, scarves or clothing with drawstrings that can get caught on equipment and pose a strangulation hazard. Even helmets can be dangerous on a playground, so save those for bikes.
Teach children that pushing, shoving or crowding while on the playground can be dangerous.