Children need a safe 안전놀이터 to develop movement skills. Furthermore, cushion falls must be prevented as this is one of the leading causes of playground injuries.
Keep the ground free of potential trip hazards such as sticks or stones. Also avoid clothing with drawstrings or cords which could get caught in equipment and strangle kids.
Age-appropriate equipment
Age-appropriate equipment is one of the key elements for creating a safe playground, helping children develop both physically and cognitively at their developmental stage while decreasing injury risks. If older children use equipment designed for toddlers or pre-schoolers who attempt to join, this can become dangerously entrapping for smaller ones who may want to join in.
Due to differences in height and development levels between children, some equipment may not be appropriate for them to use safely, and it would also not be safe for them to play alongside older kids who could exert more force upon it than them.
Equipment designed for school-age children must encourage them to develop their gross motor skills, strength and balance as well as their imagination and provide challenges that keep them engaged in healthy, dynamic play for longer stretches. Furthermore, it must offer sufficient fall protection depending on the height of equipment used.
Impact-absorbing surfaces
When it comes to playground safety, the surface you select makes an enormous impactful statement about its importance. Although some attractive materials may look appealing at first glance, they often do not absorb impacts well and may lead to serious injuries such as fractured wrists or head trauma from falls. Luckily, industry and government safety standards focus on head injury criteria (HIC) and g-forces when making recommendations that reduce the risks of life-threatening accidents.
Engineered wood fiber (EWF), one of the more popular unitary surfacing options, can be processed to specific standards to create an interlocking and impact-absorbing surface that requires professional installation for insurance and warranty reasons and often serves as slip resistance; however, over time its condition deteriorates, necessitating regular maintenance and resurfacing efforts. Loose fill surfaces like pea gravel, sand or loose rubber granules (LFR) also offer good shock absorption when used alongside an EWF surface.
Barriers
Challenge equipment can help children build strength, coordination and depth perception; however, for this activity to be truly effective it must also include safety structures to prevent children from falling off equipment or entering areas they shouldn’t. Barriers must be in place so children do not fall off equipment accidentally or enter areas they shouldn’t.
An essential factor of any playground is its surface. For optimal safety, the ideal surface should be soft yet cushioned without becoming hard or spongy over time; additionally it must be durable enough to withstand frequent use and well-kept without cracks, chips or rust spots.
Barriers are useful tools in creating an accessible playground area and keeping children away from dangers like high traffic areas or lakes. Low enough to prevent tripping hazards while not blocking sightlines for supervisors. Furthermore, playground boundaries must not contain sharp edges or protrusions that might pose potential threats.
Supervision
Estimates suggest that over 40% of playground injuries can be attributed to insufficient supervision, which is why schools must ensure there are enough supervisors on hand and have a plan in place for managing distractions. Controllable distractions to be avoided while supervising children include conversations among adults or texting/using mobile phones as potential sources.
Supervisors should discuss what are acceptable and unacceptable play behaviors on playground equipment as well as which skills and behaviors they want to encourage. Supervisors should identify any behavioral hazards such as aggressive acts toward other children or objects like playground equipment that might escalate into aggression escalation; intervening before this escalates can help channel non-preferred play behaviors into safer forms of expression.
Supervisors should also agree on a process for closing the playground, making sure all staff understand and follow it while communicating it clearly to students and parents.
