Childhood memories are made in great parks and playgrounds. Children have fun and freedom. And you see the joy of children achieving something new.
Discover our tips for stress-free trips to the playground.
Age matters
Playground equipment made for your child’s age helps them to feel safe enough to try new things and test their skills. And you can feel confident to let them explore.
The official signage for the park may list age ranges, or you can get clues from the equipment itself. Equipment is usually designed for 3 age ranges.
- Toddlers (6-23 months). You might see low heights, gentle inclines, softer surfaces, round edges and enclosed areas or very narrow gaps. Equipment might include sensory panels, bucket swings or crawl tunnels.
- Pre-school (2-5 years). Low platforms, easy steps, guardrails and textured surfaces are all clues for this age. You might find ladders with big handholds, small rock walls for climbing, low balance beams and spring rocking horses.
- School age (5-12 years). Higher slides, more complicated play equipment, bigger gaps and fewer guard rails are all set to challenge older children’s skills. Monkey bars, zip lines, wobble bridges and climbing walls are all part of the fun.
Accidents at the park
Thankfully, most accidents are minor. Well-designed and maintained parks and playgrounds reduce the risk of serious injuries.
But more serious accidents can happen, as growing children are full of surprises. Here’s what to be aware of.
Climbing frames, monkey bars or slides – young children’s heads are heavy compared to their bodies, so their centre of gravity is high. This means they can topple more easily if they lose their balance or someone pushes into them.
They can also lack the arm strength needed for high monkey bars and tend to put their hands out to break their fall. So broken bones are a risk.
Swings – standing or jumping off a swing can lead to a serious fall, especially if going fast. Being hit by a swing seat or someone’s feet can cause head injuries if children walk in front of a swing.
Slides – depending on the weather and clothing, slides can be faster than you anticipate.
Broken equipment – sadly, some parks can be neglected, which means hidden risks, especially for younger children. If there isn’t another option, take even greater care. If you’re really not happy, don’t chance it.
Burns – When the weather is extremely hot, some playground equipment and rubber safety mats can heat up to extreme temperatures which could burn a child.
Remember to check that playground equipment and the ground aren’t too hot to touch before letting your child play. And, if you can, visit parks earlier in the morning or later in the evening when temperatures are cooler.
Top tips for park safety:
- Check out the signage or play equipment to get a sense of the age the park is designed for, and try to keep children to equipment for their age range.
- Young children need you nearby and watching closely all the time.
- On slides, it’s safer to go feet-first not headfirst, to take it in turns and to avoid climbing up a busy or tunnel slide.
- If you slide with your child on your lap, hold their legs and arms together, pointing in front away from the sides to stop their limbs getting trapped.
- Teach children to ask you to stop the ride if they want to get off or to wait for it to slow down and stop.
- Show children how far to walk around the swings to avoid getting hit by someone’s feet or the swing.
- Teach younger children to always hold on to a ride or when climbing.
- Teach all children, including older ones, to take turns and never push or barge into other children on equipment.
- Avoid clothes with draw strings and sandals or flip-flops, and take cycle helmets off so that the straps don’t get caught when climbing.
- Avoid equipment if it looks damaged or worn out.
When is it an emergency?
If your child falls onto their head, from a height greater than their height or from a height onto a hard surface, it’s important to get them to A&E. A concussion or other head injury may not be obvious but can be serious.
