5 Hidden Playground Dangers Every Parent Needs to Watch Out for This Summer
ERs treat more than 200,000 children every year for playground-related injuries.
To many parents, riding down the slide with a child sounds like a sweet bonding moment. To pediatricians, it sounds like a broken leg waiting to happen. A New York mom's warning about this scary playground mistake went viral earlier this week after she shared what happened to her child nearly three years ago, Newsweek reports.
Heather Clare was holding her daughter Meadow in her lap when the 1-year-old's foot caught against the edge of the slide. A photograph coincidentally taken at the exact moment of the break shows how this all-too-common injury can occur.
"I share this picture every year in hopes that the pain Meadow felt and the guilt that I still feel will save other babies and parents from the same," she wrote. "Don’t ever go down a slide with a baby on your lap. There is no SAFE way to go down a slide with your little."
The slide's not the only part of the jungle gym parents should watch out for. Outdoor play sessions give kids a chance to grow physically, mentally, and socially, but emergency rooms also treat more than 200,000 children every year for playground-related injuries, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
You already keep an eye out for sharp edges and trip hazards, but researchers have attributed other parts of the park with big risk potential. The next time you pay a visit, remember these playground safety tips in accordance with U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommendations and always watch your children carefully.
Never go down the slide with your child.
It may seem safer to hold them close, but the weight of an adult creates much more momentum than a kid riding solo. That additional force and speed proves a big problem when a limb — usually a foot — gets caught on the edge of a slide and twists backwards. Out of 352,698 slide injuries recorded in a 13-year span, the American Academy of Pediatrics identified these lower body fractures as the most common kind sustained on slides, with going down on another person's lap as the primary cause.
"While it may seem counterintuitive, it is likely safer for your child to go down the slide on their own," explains Rachel Rothman, Chief Technologist in the Good Housekeeping Institute. "The slide is designed with certain weight and size restrictions for young children."
Watch out for burning-hot surfaces.
It's not just metal slides you need to worry about. Direct sunlight can still heat up plastic, paint, or asphalt enough to cause serious injury.
The CPSC cites one incident where a child received second-degree burns from a plastic slide on just a 74 degree day. Protect your kids by dressing them in shoes and pants and carefully testing surfaces yourself first, especially darker colors.
"They absorb more of the sun's wavelengths than lighter colors," says Lexie Sachs, a senior textiles analyst in the Good Housekeeping Institute Textiles, Paper & Plastic Lab.
Open S-hooks and small gaps can be very dangerous.
Open S-hooks can catch on clothes (a strangulation hazard) and bolt ends that stick out may cut or bruise skin if kids bump into them, according to the CPSC.
Small gaps pose a big risk too. In 2016, the agency issued a recall for defective slides after small openings on the sides led to finger amputations for at least two children.
Beware of ladders and nets.
Climbing gives kids a chance to test their balance and coordination, but rungs or rope grids create a strangulation hazard when the gaps can potentially entrap little ones' heads or bodies. Openings should measure less than 4 inches or more than 9 inches to prevent anyone from getting stuck.
Grass and dirt can be just as risky as asphalt.
Asphalt and concrete obviously don't offer any shock-absorbing protection, but the same goes for grass and dirt because of wear and environmental factors. Safety-tested rubber or sand, pea gravel, mulch, or wood chips in layers at least 12 inches deep can help prevent injuries. That surfacing should also extend at least 6 feet beyond any play equipment, but also check for barriers on elevated platforms and ramps that will rein in daredevils and prevent falls.
How to Report Safety Hazards
If you notice your playground could use some maintenance, contact your local parks and recreation department for assistance.
You can also report injuries and incidents to the CPSC by calling (800) 638‐2772 or visiting SaferProducts.gov.
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