Did You Know?

Everyone has a responsibility for protecting children’s health and safety. This is especially true on playgrounds. According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, some of the most common playground hazards are over-crowded play areas, inappropriate activities for the age of the children at play, and poor equipment maintenance. Ongoing examination and observation of your play spaces are key to eliminating safety hazards and providing children with the freedom to explore in safe play spaces.

Maryland State Department of Education developed the Playground and Water Safety Guidelines as a resource to child care providers and adults responsible for supervising children during outdoor play. The guidelines include information on supervision, first aid, sun protection, developmentally appropriate and accessible play spaces, and more.

Try It: Playground Safety Check

STEP 1: Self-Assessment Checklist

  • Use the Playground and Water Safety Self-Assessment Checklist to examine and evaluate your outdoor play areas.
  • Assess the areas at different times, when children are at play and when the play spaces are empty. Busy times help you evaluate which play areas are the most crowded and where you might need more supervision or “crowd-control.” Quiet times give you a chance to carefully inspect play areas and equipment for safety hazards that need attention.

STEP 2: Take Action

  • Identify any major safety hazards and think about:
    • How will you protect children from hazards until they are resolved?
    • Do the adults supervising the children need more training and support?
    • What steps can you take to make the play spaces developmentally appropriate and accessible to all children?
  • Write 2 – 3 goals for improving the children’s play spaces.
  • Develop a realistic and timely plan to correct or eliminate hazards and improve the safety and accessibility of your environment.
  • Provide information for your staff and families so everyone understands their responsibilities for protecting children and keeping them safe.

 

Resources to save and share

For more information on playground and water safety, check out some of these resources!

Watch

See if you can identify potential playground safety issues in the video: The Great Child Safety Challenge – Preventing Playground Injuries (5-9 years).

Read

Maryland State Department of Education’s Playground and Water Safety Guidelines is a helpful resource for identifying key components of developmentally appropriate playground/outdoor spaces and documenting specific measures to take for making play spaces safe.

Check out the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) guidelines for public playground equipment.

Share

Kaplan offers a wide range of resources to help you select equipment that is individualized to fit your budget. And, Maryland EXCELS participants receive 17% off Kaplan orders, with some exceptions.

Celebrate Playground Safety Week! Typically in April, this is a time to focus on outdoor play spaces and to promote safe practices for children and families. But any time is a good time to share safe playground tips with the families in your program!

Resources