April 27th, 2020: Home Playground Safety
/This week is National Playground Safety Week! Although many states have closed public playgrounds to stop the spread of COVID-19, some families have playground equipment in their own backyards. Unlike public playgrounds, though, these backyard fun zones aren’t inspected and maintained by professionals, so parents and caregivers should carefully check their equipment for safety before the kids start to play.
Resources on Playground Safety
Home Playground Safety Checklist – U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Outdoor Home Playground Safety Handbook – U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Playground Safety (English) – healthychildren.org
Playground Safety (Español) – healthychildren.org
Playground Safety – Injury-Free Coalition for Kids
Safety Tips for Home Playground Equipment (English) – healthychildren.org
Safety Tips for Home Playground Equipment (Español) – healthychildren.org
Playground Safety: Safe Surfaces toolkit – Prevent Child Injury
Action of the Week
Every Monday, we are promoting a new action that families can take to keep their children safer while social distancing. Because it’s National Playground Safety Week, we’re encouraging families to check their backyard playground equipment. Before your kids run out to play, look over your equipment for some common hazards: loose, missing, or broken pieces; sharp pieces of metal or wood; and splintered wood.
COVID Quick Tip
There have been reports of families buying more trampolines during stay-at-home orders, so emergency departments are expecting to see a rise in injuries relating to trampolines. Although the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends not buying trampolines, if you already have one, strongly enforce safety rules.
Trampolines: What You Need to Know (English) – healthychildren.org
Trampolines: What You Need to Know (Español) – healthychildren.org
“My daughter is begging for a backyard trampoline, but I’m concerned…” – Mayo Clinic
Coming Up
On Our Calendar
May 4-10: National Bike Safety Month
May 11-17: Toolkit outreach week: swimming pool safety
Events
Kids In Danger is hosting a “Safe From the Start” webinar on May 7, 2020. Nancy Cowles, KID Executive Director, will be discussing children's product safety, including recalled products, furniture tip-overs, and choking and ingestion hazards. She will also be talking about creating a safe sleep environment for infants. A Q&A session will follow. RSVP for this event here. (Sign up early—seats are limited, and this event was created to accommodate overflow from the April 29 webinar).
