Tips to Keep Your Child Safe on a Backyard Swing Set or Playground

Playgrounds or backyard swing sets are wonderful for preschoolers. Not only can they help develop gross and fine motor skills, they can also increase your little one's social and emotional development as they interact with other children and learn what their bodies are capable of. And of course, they are fun too. But with any physical play, it is important that you take steps to make sure your child is safe. Here's what to look for when it comes to playground safety.

Make Sure Surfaces are Safe

The right type of playground surface, whether it be mulch, rubber mats, sand or pea gravel, can protect your child from a fall. Loose-fill or synthetic surface materials are those that come the most highly recommended by playground designers. Guidelines set by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission suggest that whatever surface is on a playground should be at least 12 inches deep.

Surfaces to avoid include rocks, concrete, packed dirt, blacktop and asphalt.

How High Is It?

Tall slides provide a thrill, bridges are lots of fun to run on and who can beat the feeling of swinging high in the air? It's important, however, to make sure your child isn't too high up. A preschooler shouldn't be more than four feet off of the ground, due to the risk of a fall. According to the National Program for Playground Safety, more than 70% of all playground injuries come from falls, and affect the face or head and arms.

Is the Equipment Age-Appropriate?

The best playgrounds are divided by age -- ideally 2-5 and 5 and up. No matter what type of playground you visit though, make sure the equipment is age- and size-appropriate. Handles should be smaller and bridges and platforms should be low and have guardrails and handrails. Slides should be on the short side (under four feet) and the stairs should have a gradual (not steep) incline.

The NPPS suggests playgrounds for preschoolers have: areas to crawl; low platforms with multiple access such as ramps and ladders; ramps with pieces attached for grasping; low tables for sand, water and manipulation of materials; tricycle paths with various textures; flexible spring rockers; sand areas with covers; and shorter slides.

Is the Equipment Safe?

Make sure all equipment is securely anchored to the ground. Hooks for swings should be closed and keep an eye out for sharp edges -- nails, bolts and corners -- that can scratch your child's skin. Make sure there is plenty of space in front of and behind the swings (and teach your child to never walk directly in front of or behind a swing) as well as the bottom of the slide -- you don't want your little one to crash into anyone or be hit by someone coming down. If there is a see-saw it should be spring-centered, meaning it won't knock your child off if the other child gets off unexpectedly.

Pay Attention

It's tempting to let your kids run off on their own once you hit the playground, but preschool-age kids still need to be supervised. You don't necessarily need to be sliding down the slide with your child, but be close at hand in case he has trouble with some of the equipment or winds up getting hurt. You also want to make sure your little one doesn't wander off to another part of the park or worse, the parking lot or a nearby street.

Never leave your child alone at a playground, even for a minute. Not only can she get hurt without you being present, but the risk for abduction increases dramatically.

Playground Safety Means Using Common Sense Caution

If it's a hot day, make sure your child has plenty of water to drink. Be sure to touch all the surfaces of the playground before your child starts to play to make sure they are cool enough for your child's skin.

Make sure your preschooler is wearing appropriate clothing -- no drawstrings which can cause strangulation -- and sneakers.

Childproofing Your Home

Childproofing your home can seem like a formidable task at times, but when you consider some of the statistics regarding child injuries in the home, you begin to realize that even the smallest prevention measures go a long way.

Now is always the time to get started, whether you have a baby already or if one is on the way. Time passes so quickly, and before you know it, your baby will be rolling, crawling and walking his way into everything.

If you’re short on time, consider hiring a professional childproofer versus doing it yourself. Often these professionals can accomplish in a couple of hours what would take you days to complete. If you plan on doing it yourself, consider the following hazards and remedies:

Stoves, Ovens and Other Appliances

Hazards: With stoves, toddler hands are at just the right height to reach burners, pot handles and sometimes even knobs. Ovens can be opened and crawled into, whether on or off. Dishwashers can be opened and often contain sharp objects such as knives or breakables like glassware. Refrigerators contain many items that pose choking hazards and they are airtight, which could cause a child to suffocate if they managed to crawl inside and shut the door.

Remedy: Install locking latches on all appliances that open and close. Install knob covers to prevent a child from turning on burners and a stove guard to protect hands. Always keep pot handles turned inward while cooking.

Cabinets and Drawers

Hazards: Cabinets and drawers contain a multitude of hazards including sharp objects, chemicals, medications, and items that could pose a choking hazard.

Remedy: Install latches to the insides of drawers and cabinets whenever possible. Use knob latches on doors with knobs, if necessary. Make sure drawers and cabinets in all rooms are equipped with these devices. If you have an irregular cabinet and you can’t find a latch that fits, consider emptying the cabinet or making it a spot for toys and other safe objects. If you can, keep poisons and chemicals completely out of a baby’s reach and locked away.

Plants

Hazards: Many plants are poisonous and can cause illness or death. Potting materials pose a choking hazard.

Remedy: Be aware of the types of plants you keep, and make sure they are labeled. Do not use rocks or marbles in potting materials or as a ground cover for plants. Keep poisonous plants well out of reach, preferably outside the home completely.

Vases, Decorative Glassware

Hazards: Vases, decorative bowls and glassware, and other knick-knacks can break and cause cuts or lacerations. Many knick-knacks or plastic flowers have small parts that can break off and cause a choking hazard.

Remedy: Put all vases and other dangerous decorations out of the reach of children. It may be tempting to leave some items out in order to “teach” your child about off-limits objects, but it’s safer (and less frustrating) in the long run to just remove them.

Tables

Hazards: Coffee tables and other tables have sharp corners. Coffee tables are especially hazardous because as babies learn to walk, they use these low tables to “cruise.”

Remedy: Install table cushions. There are some brands that just fit on corners and others that go all the way around the table. You can also make your own padding system or remove any tables that might cause injury until your child is older.

Stairs

Hazards: More than half of all nonfatal injuries to children are from falls, according to the National SAFE KIDS Campaign. Many of these falls involve unprotected stairways. In addition, baby walkers cause more injuries than any other type of nursery product, with most of these injuries involving stairs. This has led the American Academy of Pediatrics to call for a ban of baby walkers.

Remedy: Install safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs. For the top of stairs, make sure that the gate has a secure latch and is not a pressure-type gate. Keep stairs free of clutter that could cause a fall not only for your baby, but for you as well. Always supervise a young child as they learn to climb stairs. If you feel you must use a walker, make sure you never allow your child to use it near stairs.

Importance of Child Safety Seats

Using a child safety seat (car seat) is the best protection you can give your child when traveling by car. Every state in the United States requires that an infant or small child be restrained — and with good reason. Child safety seats can reduce the risk of a potentially fatal injury substantially for babies in particular and also for toddlers. But many safety seats are used incorrectly.

When choosing any car seat, following some general guidelines will help ensure your child's safety. The best car seat is not always the most expensive one — it's the one that best fits a child's weight, size, and age, as well as your vehicle.

Once you select a seat, be sure to try it out, keeping in mind that store displays and illustrations might not show the correct usage. It's up to you to learn how to install a car safety seat properly and harness your child for the ride.

If you need help installing your safety seat or would like a technician to check whether you've installed it properly, the federal government has set up child seat inspection stations across the country.

Also, many local health departments, public safety groups, hospitals, law enforcement agencies, and fire departments have technicians or fitting stations to assist parents. (Don't assume that just because you go to one of these locations, their staff will be certified to help you install your seat. Ask if a certified child passenger safety technician is available.)

Water Safety Tips for the Home

While drownings in backyard swimming pools or lakes most often make the news, an equal danger of drowning can occur inside the home and in as little as 1-inch of water. That means parents and child care providers (babysitters, relatives, or in-home providers alike) need to be on the same page when it comes to indoor water safety.

Drowning is a leading cause of accidental death for youngsters, and it is estimated that half of the tragedies happen indoors. While the most common source is a child unattended in a bathtub, safety experts warn parents that young children can also drown in open containers of water left around the home, such as toilets, mop buckets, filled sinks, baby bathtubs, and ice chests as well as aquariums and spas. A child safety feature often overlooked are toilet-lid locks. The safety approach is two-fold: keeping kids from placing objects into the toilet and to prevent any possible mishap of drowning. Parents need to be sure to spread the word to babysitters, grandparents, and any type of child caregiver about possible water hazards and safety features that should be utilized to protect kids.

Here are indoor water-safety tips to consider:

• Communicate carefully with babysitters, caregivers and even housekeepers about possible water hazards within the home. Have a list of safety considerations, show guests how to unlock and re-lock toilet-seat safety locks, and stress that there is to be no water left around at any time while children are present. Reinforce that supervision is a must.


• Require that doors to the bathroom be kept closed at all times. There is so much temptation about a bathroom, and there have been reports of tots turning on bathtubs and then getting in the tub (sometimes with scalding water), with tragic results. Use child-safety door locks when you have a filled sink with handwashables or any other reason. Reiterate this practice to caregivers.


• Never, ever leave a child in a bathtub alone, including the baby baths. Infants and toddlers can easily topple over and drowning doesn't take long. In addition, it's known as a silent killer, as victims often don't make a sound. Make sure everything you need is within arm's reach before placing your child in the bathtub, into a bath ring, or into a baby bath. Make sure relatives or caregivers follow the same requirements.


• Carefully go through your home for water sources that might not normally be considered as dangerous, and be sure to take any necessary safety precautions. For example, open fish tanks left on coffee tables or even water-based plants present an unsafe environment for young children.