Commercial Playgrounds Increase Safety During Play Time
These days, with the prevalence of sedentary lifestyles and children staying indoors to play video games, keeping children active and outdoors is especially important. A community playground designed to encourage physical development and play can be a great way to keep children physically and socially active! Of course, playgrounds should be more than a tool for entertainment. While it is important that children have fun as they run, swing, and slide, it is also important that they are safe. A quality commercial play system will offer options that can delight children, while also offering features that will please and reassure parents and caregivers that the play is as safe as possible.
While there are many safety features that may be offered, these safety options are some of the most effective ways to reduce playtime injuries.
Safety Surface: If you ask most parents and caregivers what kind of play surface they remember from childhood, they’ll recount tales about the schoolyard blacktop. While many of us may have fond memories of playing hopscotch or dodge ball on the blacktop, we likely also have less than happy memories of all of the bumps, scrapes, bruises and breaks that we received as a result of this play! Today’s play surface is designed to prevent the worst of these playground injuries and lessen the severity of these bruises and scrapes. Often, you can choose between surfaces made from loose-filled recycled rubber , unitary bonded rubber, or a number of other surfaces manufactured to increase playground safety.
Age Appropriate Signs: We know that many children have an active imagination and a sense of adventure. Thoughts of safety do not always influence their decisions as they come up with innovative, yet potentially dangerous ways to use the play equipment. While they are taking flying leaps from the heights of the monkey bars, parents and caregivers are cringing in fear of the impending landing! Quality community playgrounds will recognize this adventurous nature, and take precautions to warn children and their parents of possible dangers. These signs should be easily readable by the children using the play sets, and should include short words and images.
Age Compatibility: This is not a singular feature, but instead something that should be taken into consideration as you choose options for your commercial play system. A community play site that is appropriate for the age of the children using it will have less injuries than one that is not able to cater to the needs and physical abilities of the users. Younger children will require ladders and bars that they can reach without stretching and pushing themselves too far; landing surfaces may also need to be lower to the ground to reduce the distance of any falls. Older children will require equipment that will offer them physical challenges and prevent boredom. This will help to ensure that they use equipment as it is meant to be, and that they do not invent or discover dangerous options on the commercial play set.
While it is important that children are able to be entertained and active, it is just as important that they can play safely. Children are often able to keep themselves entertained on just about any play set, but a commercial play system that offers safety features can allow parents and caregivers to breathe easier as they supervise playtime!
At Playgrounds of the Carolinas, we aim to make community sites more accessible, safe, and fun for children of all ages. We provide commercial playground equipment that can be customized to fit your community’s needs and desires.
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