4 Ways to Keep Backyard Play Areas Safe and Sound for Kids
According to WebMD, more than 200,000 children wind up in the emergency room every year due to playground-related injuries.
Keep your kids safe and sound with these all-important backyard play area tips.
1) Pay Close Attention To Backyard Play Equipment.
The Consumer Products Safety Council applies different standards to playground equipment dependent on the age of the children for whom it’s intended. For this reason, it is imperative that you only choose playground equipment appropriate for your child’s age.
In addition to age-appropriateness of playground equipment, you should also make sure:
- Swing set seats are made of rubber, not wood
- Ladders include steps, not rungs
- Raised platforms have guardrails and are no more than 6 feet high for school-age children, 4 feet high for preschool
- Protruding bolts are covered
You should also follow assembly instructions to the letter and avoid any temptation to “improve” the equipment with some makeshift addition (like a homemade rope swing).
2) Make For A Soft Landing.
At the top of WebMD’s list of safety tips to keep kids safe in the backyard is the installation* of a soft, shock-absorbent material around and underneath play areas. You’ll get a cushioned surface from the shock-absorbent padding installed* underneath Turf Now!® playground grass, which can be coordinated with other shock-absorbent playground materials, such as sand, rubber, or mulch.
3) Securely Fence The Play Area.
Even if your backyard is already fenced, it may not be as kid-proof as it should. Gaps or holes should be secured. Any old, weathered pieces of the fence should repaired, or the whole thing replaced. And the gate should close and latch on its own.
4) Supervise, Inspect, And Maintain.
Safely setting up the play area is only half the battle. Equally important is everyday attention and vigilance. The younger the child, the more critical is adult supervision. When you’re not watching or joining in on the play, you can be inspecting and maintaining the play area. This may mean a repair now and then, but mostly it’s little things, like removing tripping hazards and keeping equipment clean.
For more information about shock-absorbent artificial grass for your child’s backyard play area, contact Turf Now!® at 818-408-4639 or fill out our online form and a representative will be in touch soon.
