subject: Playground Equipments- Safety Matters [print this page] It is natural for children to love the playground as they are at their best there, they can run, shout, play, laugh and enjoy themselves to the utmost. They are free from all the restrictions that are imposed on them at home and they look forward to playing everyday. Parents would have no objection to that, as it is beneficial for children from many perspectives. On one hand, playing in the playground is far better than being glued to the TV watching cartoons or video games, as playing in the fresh air is good for both the body and the mind. On the other, it instills social skills in children as amidst all the playing, teasing and fighting, they learn group behavior and enjoy the company of their peers.
However, it is not always possible for parents to keep a check on children when they are playing in the park or a teacher to pay attention to each and every child at a school playground. Children will always be children; they look forward only to having fun and do not care about falling or hurting them selves. No doubt the playground is a great place for recreation, but at the same time it poses as many security concerns as well. The equipment in a playground may not be safe. Of course, when children play, they are bound to fall or slip here and there at times, but the problem arises when there are possibilities of serious injuries. Is it possible to ensure that the children do not get serious injuries? Taking some things into consideration at the time of installation of the equipment it is indeed possible to ensure to a large extent that there are negligible possibilities of children getting hurt.
Let us first see what is the main cause of injury- one can be falling from a playground structure. Often children lose their balance and fall from playground equipment while playing. It is not possible to completely eliminate the chances offall, however rubber surfacing at the areas where those equipment are installed that pose a threat of a fall, may greatly reduce the effect of a fall. Other than that, the playground equipment itself is a cause of injury at times. There should be no sharp edges, which can be very dangerous. The equipment should be well designed, the seating space should be appropriate and the equipment should not get slippery with rainwater. Plastic has come up as a good alternative to metal as a material for the equipment, as it is light, the edges are not sharp and the surface is not hard like metal, making it the perfect choice. Moreover, it is better in terms of the variety of shapes and colors that we can get. Other than these factors, it is essential to keep in mind the age of the children. There should be different kinds of equipments for children of different age groups, so that toddlers or young kids don't get hurt playing with equipments that is meant for elder children.
Along with paying attention to making the playground attractive with innovative and colorful playground equipment , if appropriate attention is also paid to the security features, the playground can be the best place for the children to be carefree.
