5 Playground Safety Tips Every New Parent Needs to Know

playground safety

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Are you wanting to get your son or daughter out for more playtime at the park? Do you want to know a few tips on what to watch out for while you’re there? If so, then you should learn all that you can about playground safety tips for your child.

Kids can be clumsy. While they might be playing around and having fun one second, there could be an accident next. There are many things to look out for while your child plays with friends.

See below for several playground safety tips and how to keep your kid safe while they’re enjoying the playground.

1. Properly Use Hand Sanitizer

Hand sanitizer is a great thing to have on you at all times, especially considering current events. However, contrary to what most people think, hand sanitizer is not a replacement for soap and water.

Think of it more as a preventative measure than a reactive one. In this scenario, you should place a hand sanitizer on your child’s hands before and after they play on the playground, not just on the walk back to the car.

Hand sanitizer for kids is safe when correctly applied. Be sure to read the back of the label to see if it’s appropriate for child use. If so, place it on their hands and tell them (and watch them) rub it in for at least 20 seconds.

As soon as you find a sink to wash their hands, be sure to do so. There are some common germs that hand sanitizer can’t kill, so you’ll want to double-down by washing their hands thoroughly after a day at the park.

2. Get a Lay of the Land

Before you unleash your children and let them run out to the playground, be sure to scan the area around the playground and surrounding park features for suspicious characters.

Start looking at the playground as soon as you park in the lot to keep your eyes out for any sketchy-looking people. Of course, don’t judge a book by its cover, but certainly don’t ignore the book’s cover either.

While your kid’s play, be sure to keep your eyes on them. Every few minutes, make sure to walk around the premises to make sure all your kids are accounted for and playing nice with others.

Remember to teach your kids not to talk with strange adults. Stress the need for them to run back to you if they feel uncomfortable with any situation.

If you feel like there’s a suspicious character around the park, you can call the local police department (not 911 unless it’s an emergency) and they’ll send an officer out to feel things out.

3. Check Out the Equipment

Don’t ever assume that a playground is one hundred percent accident-proof just because it’s in a city-funded park. Playgrounds can sometimes go weeks (if not months) without local officials checking the safety of them.

If your child asks you if they can go on the swings, be sure to check out the swings to make sure they’re safe. If one seems faulty, tell your child to steer clear of it.

Make sure to browse through the slides, jungle gyms, merry go rounds, or anything else that seems to be a bit shaky before allowing your kid to go on it.

You should also consider the age of your child. Typically, a normal playground should be for kids between the ages of 5 to 12 years old. Some parks will have specialized areas for children that are 2 and under, some won’t.

If you notice faulty equipment, be sure to alert the other parents as well. You don’t want any accidents occurring on your watch.

swingset

4. Dress Kids Appropriately

Sometimes a spontaneous trip to the park while you’re out running errands can be a fun way to spend quality time with your kid. However, if you know beforehand that you’re going to the park, be sure to dress your child appropriately.

First, be sure to consider the weather outside. If it’s cold or chilly, make sure to put them in a jacket and sweater, they can always take it off if they get too hot while running around.

If it’s hot, dress them in lighter clothes, but be sure to put them in shorts or pants that cover the knees, as they’re likely to scrape them when they fall.

5. Set Rules for Your Children

No matter how well-behaved your children are, don’t ever assume that they remember all of the rules from the last time they were at the playground.

Before you let them out of the car, be sure to reiterate some key rules to them. Let them know they aren’t allowed to leave the playground whatsoever. Be sure to give them an “out of bounds” line to follow.

Tell them that if you catch them throwing any objects or pushing anyone (each other or another child) then you’ll be going home. Also, let them know to share the slide and other features with other kids. No hogging the swings, merry go round, etc.

Ensure Playground Safety With These Tips

Now that you have seen several playground safety tips to give for your kids and how to enforce park safety, be sure to use them to your advantage.

Remember, your kids might forget some of the rules when they get excited from being at the park, so give them a warning before punishing them or ending playtime too quickly.

Be sure to browse this website for more articles on how to keep kids safe, as well as many other helpful topics that you’ll enjoy.