Outdoor Safety
Outdoor play spaces provide an opportunity for children to develop physical, intellectual, and social skills as well as the awareness of themselves and their abilities. But all too often, play spaces are the site of unintentional injuries. It's the responsibility of adults to create play environments that are challenging for children, but that are also reasonably safe. Using age-appropriate equipment, following a regular maintenance schedule, limiting equipment height, and providing adult supervision can greatly reduce the number and severity of outdoor injuries.
In addition to your outdoor play space at home, children also have access to play spaces at picnic areas, parks, places of worship, and other public sites. It is crucial that adult supervision occur in those instances as those outdoor environments can contain much larger pieces of play equipment than may be available in the child’s home. Children benefit from guidance on safe use of these large structures.
Things to Consider
Learning…
Does the play space promote opportunities for:
- activities that interest your child?
- you to actively play with your child?
- observation of the natural world and use of natural elements?
- exploration of seasonal changes?
- gardening – planning a garden, moving dirt and natural materials, planting, and providing ongoing care for a garden?
- climbing, rocking, sliding, swinging, digging, balancing, hopping, kicking, crawling, throwing, rolling, dancing, and other active play experiences?
Activities involving...
- “the arts” - art, drama & music?
- math & science?
- language and stories?
- building or constructing, sand, and water play?
- equipment that is...
- moveable?
- stationary?
- user-friendly?
- appropriate for the skill level, size, and age of your child?
- full of a variety of play and learning choices?
- connecting the indoor space with the outdoor space such as a porch or sheltered area?
Safety…
- Is there easy access to telephones/pagers to reach emergency medical services (such as: hospital, police, fire, poison control center, etc.)?
- What is the safety of the materials used in landscape features (for example, are fertilizers, chemicals, or pesticides used in the area safe for children)?
- What is the safety of materials used in play equipment (for example, if arsenic treated wood is used, is it sealed annually)?
- Is surfacing soft enough to minimize injury to falling children (i.e. grass, sand, woodchips instead of concrete)?
- Is there enough open space for jumping and running?
- Is there shaded play space when your child needs to come out of the sun?
- How easy will it be for your child to access the bathroom, a drink of water, and appropriate clothing for all weather conditions?
- Do you have sunscreen, bug spray, and first aid supplies close by?
- Do you regularly inspect the equipment and play space for dangers (i.e. animal residue and stinging insect nests, sharp edges, slivers, mole holes)?
- Have you reviewed the Consumer Product Safety Commission Playground Safety Publications for appropriate measures you can take to make your child’s play space more safe?
For more information on outdoor play spaces and learning environments:
Weblinks
- Playgrounds for All Kids
- ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Play Areas
- NC State University Natural Learning Initiative
- NC State University Cooperative Extension Outdoor Learning Environments Resources
- Active Start: A Statement of Physical Activity Guidelines for Children Birth to
- Five Years: available through the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance
Books
- Play for All Guidelines: Planning, Designing and Management of Outdoor Play Settings for All Children. Robin C. Moore, Susan M. Goltsman, Daniel S. Iacofano. MIG Communications. Berkeley, Calif., 1992.
- The Great Outdoors: Restoring Children’s Right to Play Outside. Mary Rivkin. National Association for the Education of Young Children, Washington, D.C., 1995.
- Plants for Play: A Plant Selection Guide for Children’s Outdoor Environments. Robin C. Moore. MIG Communications. Berkeley, Calif., 1993.
- Outside Play and Learning Book: Activities for Young Children. Karen Miller. Gryphon House. Beltsville, Md., 1989.
- Places for Childhood: Making Quality Happen in the Real World. Jim Greenman. Child Care Information Exchange. Redmond, Wash., 1998.
- Caring Spaces, Learning Places. Jim Greenman. Child Care Information
Exchange. Redmond, Wash., 2005.