childrens outdoor play centre

Don't let your quaint backyard swing set lull you into a false sense of safety, warns Hoekstra. "We're less likely as parents to feel the need to be right there because it's our own backyard," she said. "We're often more lax in our supervision, which leads to a higher risk of injury." While swings, when used appropriately, are fairly safe, the twisting and jumping kids like to do can lead to serious injuries. Other backyard play structure injuries come from falling off monkey bars -- hello broken bones! -- and landing roughly after a ride down a slide. Adult supervision can indeed prevent many of these injuries, as can a firm set of rules, like "No going down the slide head-first!" But don't forget to make sure that your backyard play structure has the proper padding around it -- mulch, sand, rubber or wood chips provide far more effective cushioning for small bodies than plain old grass. (Mehan recommends that padding materials be 12 inches deep.) Looking to avoid collisions between kids on swings and kids nearby? Hoekstra suggests using chalk or colored wood chips to mark a border so children know how closely they can safely play near their swinging friends.backyard playground equipment