Playground Safety

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The warm weather has arrived and you and the children in your care will be spending more time outdoors on the playground. Providing the children you care for with a safe environment is an on-going process. By following sound safety practices, you act not only as a protector, but also as a role model for parents and children. Whether it’s your own private yard or a public playground or park, checking daily for safety hazards is an important part of this.

The following video clips will discuss how to keep children safe when playing outdoors. They will focus specifically on playground safety and how to protect children from dangers that might be present in your outdoor environment. With proper supervision, preparation, and a little creativity, you can provide outdoor learning experiences that will enhance the physical skills of all children.

Contents

Video: Outdoor Activities

In this clip you will see activities you can do with children from 6 months–5 years to get them moving outside if you don’t have access to a safe playground environment.

Video: Playground Safety Tour

In this clip you will watch several segments of a video tour of a typical playground. Live studio panelists will discuss what the different types of equipment are called, what children are learning while using them, how to supervise children using them, potential hazards of each piece of equipment, etc.

Video: Unsafe Playground Equipment, Sun Safety and Q & A

In this clip you will get information about types of playground equipment that should not be used by children on playgrounds and the reasons why not. You will also learn about sun safety information and have faxed or phoned in questions about playground safety addressed by the panelists.

More Resources

• Policy 00-02 - Rooftop Playgrounds
• Pub. 5199 - Child Care Safety - Playground