Safety Tips For Your Home Kids Playground
Children are real bundles of joy, and what they like the most is playing, if possible all day and night. When you have a large and adequate outdoor space, the smartest choice to keep your child entertained in the fresh air and nice weather is to make or have a playground. However, constructing an outdoor home playground is no plain sailing as there are plenty of things to consider. Besides the size and all the fun slides and swings you wish to include, the most pivotal thing to think about is safety. As a parent, you only want the best thing for your children hence placing safety as a priority when constructing a home kids’ playground is of utmost importance. Here are some of the essential safety tips you ought to know before you embark on such a fun adventure.
Install a protective shock-absorbing surface
Grassy, wooden, or concrete floors can be a red flag for potential slips and breaks. No matter if you wish to have only a slide, monkey bars, or a swing, in any case, you must install a shock-absorbing surface underneath playground construction. You can try out a simple DIY option by placing a few wooden chips, sand, or pea gravel, or buy a protective shredded rubber. When it comes to swings though, make sure that you have adequate surface extended in the back and front area. Always keep in mind that kids would try to jump from the swing and maybe attempt some other stunt, so it’s better to be safe than sorry and place protective safety pads around the play area.
Teach and follow playground equipment rules
Whether you want to mount a basketball hoop, build a small area for volleyball or tennis, or maybe install a ready-made children’s playground set, you need to ensure that your child knows how to use the equipment. Do your homework first and get the age-appropriate equipment and then read through the instructions if the playground equipment has a few guidelines. Next, teach your children how to use the playground equipment and highlight the importance of holding the bars tightly when climbing. Kids tend to be careless when playing, one moment you may see them hanging upside-down on the monkey bars one moment or standing on the swing in the other. Instruct them carefully how to use the playground equipment and the main dos and don’ts.
Protect and light up the premises
Another crucial point to consider is protecting the premises around the kids’ playground. First and foremost, your home playground has to have adequate lighting, especially during the evening and night hours. You may not expect your kids to use their playground late in the evening, but on warm summer nights, that’s inevitable fun. Again, whether you wish to have a classical playground set with swings, see-saws, a trampoline, or a basketball court, you must have proper lighting. It is advisable to get quality sport light LED poles so that the playground would be fully lit during evening and night hours.
Stay attentive to the surroundings
It’s a common rule of thumb to instruct your child not to walk or run around the swing when someone else is swinging, so another safety tip is to teach your child to be mindful of their surroundings. Fundamental things to remember and always be cautious about are other children playing. The safety reason for children playing around your new home playground is to keep their heads up and eyes open especially if someone else is playing. Aim not to place or install a playground under a shrubby tree or bush where wasps may gather or where there are higher risks of cracking or falling branches.
Conduct a safety check
Outdoor home kid’s playground is an amazing thing for kids to get their much-needed daily fun and exercise. However, whether you wish to attach a climbing rope or place a sand pit, you have to check the equipment itself before you let the children play. Look whether there’s any faulty worn-out or rusty hardware. Remove or reattach protruding bolt ends that can end up being too hazardous. Furthermore, check the stability of climbing ladder rails and guardrails. There shouldn’t be a vast space between openings in guardrails and ladder rungs so that a kid may slip and fall in between. Check for any loose screws or nails, sharp points, or splintering on the playground equipment so the kid cannot get cut, trip, or injured badly.
In the end, set some ground rules for playing in your home playground. Specify the importance of behaving nicely while playing at the playground such as not showing, pushing, or crowding, but to play cautiously and to have fun safely.