Playgrounds and outdoor play equipment provides your child fun and exercise but be aware of the safety hazards too.

Careless behavior, faulty equipment and improper surfaces are a few of the dangers that cause children to get hurt.
Many injuries can be prevented with proper supervision.

You can make the playground a place that's entertaining and safe for your child by checking equipment for potential hazards and following some simple safety guidelines. In addition, teaching your child how to play safely is important:
if your child knows the rules of the playground, it's less likely he or she will get hurt.

• Make sure there is always adult supervision

Proper playground surface is one of the most important factors in reducing injuries
The surface under playground equipment should be soft and thick enough to soften the impact of a child's fall.

Playground equipment

• Watch out for broken equipment, all hardware should be secure, with no broken or loose parts.
• Wooden equipment - no cracks or splintering
• Metal equipment - no rust
• Check for hardware such as S-shaped hooks, bolts that have sharp or unfinished edges that may cut a
child or cause clothing to become entangled.
• Sandboxes - check for sharp sticks, broken glass, bugs, contamination from animals, such as cats.

Help keep your playground clean, pick up trash, report problems to the appropriate authorities.

Teaching playground safety
Safe playground equipment and adult supervision are extremely important,
but kids must know how to be safe and act responsibly at the playground.

General rules for children visiting a playground
• Never push or roughhouse.
• Use equipment properly - slide feet first, don't climb outside guardrails, no standing on swings, etc.
• Watch out for other children if you jump off equipment.
• Don't leave your bike, backpack or bags in the play area, someone could trip over them and fall.
• Don't use playground equipment while it is wet, it is slippery.
• If the equipment feels hot when you touch it, don't use it, especially metal slides.
• Don't wear clothes with drawstrings, wear necklaces or carry a purse. These might get caught on equipment and cause strangulation.
• Because of the possibility of sharp obects, broken glass, etc., children should wear shoes at all times

Swings
• Always sit in the swing, don't stand or kneel, hold on tight.
• Remind children not to go in front of swings.
• One child per swing.

Slides
• Hold onto the handrail when climbing the ladder to the top of the slide. Do not climb up the slide
itself to get to the top.
• Always slide down feet first and sitting up, never head first on your back or stomach.
• Only one child should be on the slide platform at a time, and kids shouldn't slide down in groups.
• Your child should always check that the bottom of the slide is clear before sliding down. When they reaches
the bottom of the slide, they should get off and move away from the end of the slide so it's clear for other kids

Climbing equipment includes rock climbing walls, arches, and vertical and horizontal ladders.
Adult supervision is especially important for younger kids who are playing on climbing equipment.
• Too many children on the equipment at one time can be dangerous.

The following types of equipment are not safe for playgrounds:
• Monkey bars
• Animal figure swings
• Glider swings that hold more than one child at a time
• Swinging ropes that can fray, unravel, or form a noose, never let your child tie jump ropes or leashes onto the equipment (any kind of rope attached to play equipment poses a strangulation hazard)
• Exercise rings and trapeze bars
• Trampolines

NEVER LEAVE YOUR CHILDREN UNSUPERVISED
• Don't allow young children to use public washrooms without close supervision
• Apply sunscreen liberally and often


Source: Kids Health

Joplin Parks & Recreation

Joplin Park Sites & Facilities