| Finding a safe place for your child to play can be very | | | | anchored at both ends. The swings should be a |
| hard sometimes. Slides, swings and jungle gyms are a | | | | bucket type, of soft shock absorbing materials. To |
| dream come true for most children, but can be a | | | | prevent head injuries the swings should be twenty |
| nightmare for parents when they come home with | | | | four inches apart and thirty inches form the support |
| black eyes, bumps, bruises and broken limbs.Whether | | | | posts. All of the rings and other openings should be |
| you are looking for a play set for home or looking at | | | | designed to prevent head entrapment. All of the |
| a public playground, make sure it is age appropriate. | | | | metal should be painted or treated to avoid rusting. If |
| If you are looking for equipment to use at home; | | | | there is any wood, it should also be treated to |
| look for something that is adjustable as your child | | | | prevent rotting. The treatment used should be with |
| grows. For your toddlers, look for something that is | | | | shellac paint because some wood treatment is made |
| no higher than six feet at its topmost point. The play | | | | with arsenic-based material.The playground equipment |
| platforms should be no higher than four feet from | | | | should be in good repair and checked regularly for |
| the ground and have guardrails. They should also be | | | | broken or missing parts. If you are at a park and see |
| easy to get down from. The playground slide should | | | | it in a poor condition, you should report it to the local |
| be no more than a 30 degree incline. It should also be | | | | parks department. You should avoid the playground |
| at least twenty two inches deep. If the slide is more | | | | until it is fixed.The surfaces under the playground |
| than four feet high, then it should have raised | | | | should be soft. Remove all rocks and tree roots. You |
| sides.Make sure the play equipment is safe. When | | | | can either put down play sand, wood chips, sawdust, |
| you are looking for a play system, look for a system | | | | bark or other shock absorbing material. Do not rely |
| that says the manufacturer followed the guidelines of | | | | on your grassy yard because it still could be |
| the American Society for the Testing of Materials or | | | | dangerous, even fatal. Injuries are possible on this |
| of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The | | | | surface even if the fall is from a foot above. The |
| equipment should be sturdy in construction. Make | | | | shock absorbing material should extend six feet from |
| sure it is correctly assembled, follow the instructions | | | | the play area.Make sure that your toddler isn't |
| exactly and make sure it is firmly anchored in | | | | wearing a cape, floppy sleeves, flowing clothes or |
| concrete. The concrete should be covered in earth or | | | | any other clothing that can be entangled in the |
| a soft padding. The play system should be set at | | | | equipment. This can cause a strangulation hazard. Any |
| least six feet from fences or walls.You should avoid | | | | play equipment is only as safe the supervision a child |
| swings with S-like hooks; these can pop out easily | | | | playing on it gets. |
| with vigorous swinging. The climbing rope should be | | | | |