Back to school preparations are in full swing for many UK parents, for some school has already started. The first few weeks will obviously be tough trying to not only readjust the kids but parents too. After sharing back to school items you forgot and should have, many parents had to do a double take. There was obviously a couple of items missing but otherwise everyone seems to be very organised.
I then started to wonder, parents are {almost} ready for back but are they prepared for school play ground safety? As I am not a parent yet I had to do some research on play ground safety when I stumbled upon this article on Pinterest. What I especially loved was the infographic within the article.
School Playground Safety
The infographic shares many tips on school playground safety but one is of particular interest to me, soft surface. I remember as a kid growing up in Zambia, our soft surface play area wasn’t at all soft nor safe. With no one to really enforce the law on what school playgrounds standards should be it was difficult. Don’t get me wrong, not all parts where bad they were just some questionable ones. Still we survived and probably survived the playground apocalypse that rained on us as kids.
The playground today is a different place, there are plenty of companies selling different types of soft surface. Many have invested in safe, cost effective and easy to lay surfaces for different areas including school grounds.
These days it’s a different time and different requirements of what’s acceptable and what isn’t. Today many of us are thankful that many things especially where children are concerned are inspected. Many companies today provide soft surface products in different formats with wetpour being most common for school playgrounds. Not only are they safe, they come in different types and are good for sensory development of kids. The most important thing apart from being ethically safe is that these areas is where children will make most memories.
*Collaborative
Oyinkan Ogunleye says
LOL girrrrl I remember the slides at the park being toooo hot during the summer and I absolutely still had fun. Burned myself a little but still had fun lol
Daisy Yadao Quintayo says
These tips are so useful and Important especially to our kids. We need to be aware . Thanks for sharing
Blair Villanueva says
It is interesting how much parents in the west are so OC with child safety, compared here in the east particularly in Japan. In Japan, kids as early as 6 years old are independent enough to commute going to school.
Nicole says
These tips are so important!! Really something I don’t think a lot of people think about! I’ll definitely be using these! Thanks for sharing!
Aareeba Mohammed says
My son has started going to play areas from last 1 month and These are some really great tips. Thanks alot
Lyf&Spice says
You have highlighted a very important topic. I have seen so many playgrounds set with soft material bases to avoid rusts, cuts and be durable at the same time. I love the safety guide that you have mapped out. 🙂 Cheers!!
Kira says
These are some really good tips . Love the photo as well!
Angela Milnes says
I remember broken arms happening often on the playground at school when I was a kid. It’s definitely important to play safe!
Natasha says
Great info displayed in a really easy format to follow! Lots of things parents wouldn’t think about x
Clair says
Good tips especially the one about hot metal! ouchie!
Jessica Taylor says
These tips are so useful! I have seen so many kids get hurt on the playground because of things that could have been avoided!
Kara says
I didn’t realise there were so many rules and regulations around playgrounds
Paula Bendfeldt-Diaz says
These is really great information for keeping kids safe in the playground which is so important. Also great tips for choosing the right playground for your child.
Gideon Akachukwu Okorie says
Back to school be tough on parents as you rightly said. Having a Playground that is safe for kids is very important. Love your infographics.
Cristina Leau says
Love the infographic, so well done and full of useful information.
Gloria S. says
I’ll be looking after my niece for two weeks next month because my sister is going through surgery. Glad I came across your post. When you don’t have kids yourself there are so many things that you don’t even consider.
Lauren Porter says
Really useful tips!! I always follow Sophie round as she is so little still, you just never know x
Ana De Jesus says
I agree that it is important to be careful in the playground and raise awareness of flooring that is more handy!
Amber says
This is great to remember. I always remind my kids to be careful at the playground. You just never know.
Stella Kashmoney says
We have a great playground centre around us here. It comes in so handy. Good to know about the safety flooring.
Wanderlust Vegans says
The nicest playgrounds in my city, are in the sketchiest areas of town! I wasn’t very good with playgrounds as a child. Lots of stitches and hospital visits for me!
Hannah Marie says
I wish there are decent playground here. That poster is really helpful for parents to always look out for the safety of their kids when playing in the playground.
Laura Dove says
Playground safety is a big one for me. When I was younger I fell from a climbing frame onto the concrete floor and split my head open. That wouldn’t happen these days with the safety flooring!
Corinne & Kirsty says
I had actually never thought about any of these. I don’t have kids just yet but I have to admit that I was not really cautious when I was a kid so I might need to make sure my future babies are more cautious
Blanca N Valbuena says
Amazing how far safety for kids has come. When I was little safety was not even thought of. Things were hard, hot, jagged…I’m surprised I made it out alive 😉
Alexandra Blackmon says
I do appreciate this as a parent! So important to make sure the kids are safe on playgrounds, it’s so easy for them to get hurt!
Jen Sky Walker says
We have a lot of play structures where I live in Northern California, and safety certainly is a top priority around here! It’s very unusual to find a structure with swings now, especially when structures are in tight quarters. Another tip to add is to keep hair secured, especially when it comes to equipment with moving parts that hair can catch on!
Sarah Bailey says
It is crazy how many dangers there are about out there, these sound like some good tips to hopefully stop accidents happening.
Cathy Glynn says
When my boys were little I never worried about safety but as I have grown older I am a lot more aware of the dangers. Useful tips for parents.
kate says
I think this is probably something that most parents don’t think about. As I used to run a playscheme it’s a bit of a professional hazard I always scope out any hazards for littlies when I go with friends or my niece etc!!
Little Steps says
I so agree. As parents, we tend to forget about playground safety. It’s always great to be reminded that although most playgrounds are safe, it’s still best to be on ones toes 🙂
Hannah Anderson says
Some really great tips for parents!