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