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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Wednesday, May 11, 2005

Monkeying around at playground can hurt

By Suzanne Perez Tobias
Knight Ridder News Service

Michael Janson, 6, fell from these monkey bars and broke his arm last August in Indianapolis and spent his first six weeks of kinder-garten in a cast. Watch kids carefully at the playground.

Mpozi Mshale Tolbert • Gannett News Service

Remember tag? Red Rover? Hanging upside down on the monkey bars? Climbing up the slide? Jumping off the swings?

Those traditional playground antics have gone the way of chalkboard slates at most schools. Concerns about injuries, fights and other problems have led schools to adopt stringent rules that may outlaw many of the recess activities that parents remember from childhood.

Safe equipment and adult supervision are important on playgrounds, but that's not all.

Some general rules from the National Program for Playground Safety:

  • Never push or roughhouse on equipment.
  • If you like to jump off climbing toys, check that there are no other children in your way. Land on both feet with your knees slightly bent.
  • Leave bikes, backpacks and other items in a designated spot. Items left randomly around the playground can cause children to trip and fall.
  • Never use equipment that is wet, because moisture causes the surface to be slippery.
  • Don't wear clothes with drawstrings at the playground. They can get caught on equipment and pose a strangulation hazard.
  • Wear sunscreen.

Swings

  • Always sit in the swing; don't stand or kneel. Hold on tightly with both hands. Stop the swing completely before getting off.
  • Stay a safe distance from other children on swings, being careful not to run or walk in front or in back of moving swings.
  • Never double up with two kids to a swing.
  • Don't push other children on swings. The child pushing the swing may not be able to gauge properly how much force is necessary, and the child being pushed won't have any control if he wants to stop.

Teeter-totters

  • Because teeter-totters require cooperation between children, they are generally not recommended for preschoolers.
  • Teeter-totters are like swings: one child per seat. If you are too light to seesaw with a partner, find a different partner; don't add another child to your side of the teeter-totter.
  • Always sit facing one another, not turned around. Hold on tightly with both hands; don't touch the ground or push off with your hands; and keep feet to the sides, not underneath the teeter-totter.
  • Stand back from a teeter-totter when it's in use. Never stand beneath it or try to climb onto it while it's in motion.

Slides

  • Take one step at a time and hold on to the handrail when climbing the ladder to the top of the slide. Never climb up the slide itself to get to the top.
  • Slide down feet first and sitting up, never head first on your back or stomach.
  • Don't slide down in groups. Only one child should be on the slide platform at a time.
  • Always check that the bottom of the slide is clear before sliding down.
  • On hot days, feel the slide with your hand before climbing up to the top. If the slide feels too warm, don't play on it.

Climbing equipment

Climbing equipment comes in many shapes and sizes, including arches, domes and horizontal ladders, and is generally more challenging for kids than other kinds of playground equipment.

  • Use both hands and stay well behind the person in front of you, and beware of swinging feet. When you drop from the bars, bend your knees and land on both feet.
  • Because crowded equipment can be dangerous, everyone should start on the same side of the equipment and move across it in the same direction.
  • When climbing down, watch for those climbing up; never race across or try to reach for bars that are too far ahead.
  • Children younger than 5 may not have the upper-body strength necessary for climbing. Adult supervision is especially important for younger kids.