Your Toddler Playground Equipment: Is It Safe?

Toddlers love the adventures of the outdoors, and ensuring your toddler playground equipment is in good repair and safe is first priority as a parent. Whether your toddler is having fun at the neighborhood playground or the playground in your backyard, there are certain safety concerns to consider for your child's safe playing environment. Consider these safety precautions for the equipment in your toddler's playground.

The Surface

Ensuring that your child has a soft landing should he or she fall from playground equipment is important. One of the best and most expensive type of surfaces is foam. Foam is an excellent cushioning for your toddler should he take a tumble. Another benefit of foam is that there are no small pieces for your toddler to pick up and put into their mouth.

Having a surface installed on your toddler's playground that is made from wood chips also provides a soft landing in the event of a tumble. The main concern about wood chips is that toddlers can put the chips in their mouth. Wood chips are cheaper than foam for a playground surface and still a good choice for safety.

Fenced Area

Having your child's playground area fenced in is also a major safety concern. Whether playing in your own backyard or at a city park, a fenced area keeps your child safely contained inside the play area and keeps anything such as stray animals out of the play area. Although your playground is fenced, close supervision of your toddler in any environment is always best practice.

Condition of The Equipment

Children playground equipment in any setting should be in good repair. Periodically check the repair of playground set in your backyard and before each time your child plays on equipment in a park outside your home. If there are any visible signs of looseness of the equipment, repair it before your child plays on it. If the equipment in question is in a park, do not allow your toddler to play on the equipment. Seek park management for equipment repairs.

Swings

Swings are very popular in a playground setting. Before letting your toddler swing, inspect the swing to ensure ropes are in good repair with no visible signs of wear. Inspect where the ropes are attached on the swing to ensure that knots and ties are not compromised. Swings are fun for toddlers but pose a hazard if they are not inspected properly.

Climbing Surfaces

Your toddler will climb on any and everything. It is important to visually and physically inspect the areas they will climb on. Ensure that if it is playground equipment constructed of metal, there should be no sign of peeling paint. If the equipment is constructed of plastic, ensure that there are no loose parts. Supervising the height that your children climb is very important to prevent any incidents of falling.

Weatherproof

A weatherproofed playground is often overlooked as a safety measure. A playground playset should be in an area where toddlers aren't exposed to constant sun or rain. Not all playgrounds can be covered. However, choosing cooler times of the day is to the benefit of your toddler.