Playgrounds offer a variety of advantages for parents with young kids. They are the perfect place for meeting new people, having play dates and birthday parties. There is, however, a potential for children to injure themselves, so it is important to follow some guidelines for a safe good time.

Check out the playground when you arrive. Older kids, teenagers, or adults visit playgrounds at night and damage equipment or leave dangerous things behind. Check for broken glass, sharp sticks, as well as used syringes, pill bottles or lighters. Check any equipment that has parts that can be cut through, such as rubber straps or rubber bridges. Make sure the equipment doesn't have cracks, sharp edges, protruding hardware or missing pieces.

The worst problem I encountered in a playground was when a twelve year old pushed under equipment placed on sand and became stuck with his face in the sand. He could have suffocated if an adult had not pulled him out.

Children can also get their heads or legs, stuck between railings or supports of equipment. Demonstrate for your children how small these openings really are by trying to push a large ball through and explain how their ears will keep them from backing out.

Playground equipment should be used appropriately according to its design. Every child likes to climb up the slide but, obviously, if someone is coming down, there's going to be a collision. Be aware of parts of the playground that are not equipment, such as fences, trashcans, benches, etc. Kids shouldn't climb on these, as they are not designed for play and may not have safety material underneath.

If the playground is used by kids of different ages, and there aren't separate areas for different age groups, make sure your child is safe playing with kids who are older and bigger but can't judge how to watch out for a younger child. Big kids can push your child down from a height or land on them at the bottom of the slide.

Sand, shredded wood, pea gravel, and rubber are used as surface materials. Each surface has advantages and disadvantages. Rubber can be poured to cover the whole playground or a depth of shredded rubber can be laid. Rubber tiles are also used in some areas. Different parks departments use different materials. All of these materials can cushion a fall if they are maintained at the proper depth. If your town is lax replenishing surface materials, call the appropriate authorities and complain.

Make sure you can see your child at all times as it is the only way to be sure they play safely and do not wander out of the playground. This is especially dangerous if a street or a body of water is close.

Have a set of playground rules and enforce them, so you and your child can have fun. Your child may not appreciate the dangers, but loss of park privileges for the day will help reinforce how serious you are.

Learn more about this author, Josephine Polifroni.
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