Here are some important  safety tips to consider to make sure your kids are safe at the playground.

Kids  should be supervised at all times.

• Actively supervise kids on the playground.
• Check the playground to look for any hazardous  items such as broken or rusted equipments as well as dangerous surfaces and report it to the appropriate authorities.
• Teach the children that pushing, shoving and crowding on the playground can be dangerous.
• Kids should dress appropriately for the playground. Remove necklaces , scarves or anything that can get caught in the equipment  and pose a strangulation hazard.

Choose play area according to the child’s age.

• It important that children use age appropriate playground equipment. Separate play area for children under the age of 5 should be available and maintained.
• For infants learning to walk, the play area should have a smooth and easy surface to walk on.
• If the baby has fairly good head control and can sit without support (usually  around 9 months) , give the baby (bucket-shaped) swings a try.

Make sure that there is a safe surface beneath and surrounding playground equipment.

• You should avoid playgrounds with non-impact absorbing  surfaces such as asphalt, concrete, grass, dirt or gravel.
• Make sure the guardrails are in good condition to prevent falls.
• Recommended surface materials include: sand, pea gravel, wood chips, mulch and shredded rubber. Rubber mats, synthetic turf and other artificial materials are also safe surfaces and require less maintenance.
• The surfacing should be at least  12 inches deep and extend at least 6 feet in all directions around stationary equipment. Surfacing may need to extend farther than 6 feet depending on the height of the equipment.
• In the case of a swing, ensure  that the surfacing extends in the back and front, twice the height of the suspending bar. So if the top of the swing set is 10 feet high, the surfacing should extend 20 feet.

NOTE

It is important to make sure that the playground is inspected and maintained by qualified personnel. If you see anything that poses danger to kids, report it immediately to the appropriate authority such as school, park authority and city council.