Four ways you can help reduce your child’s risk for a playground-related injury.

1. Always keep an eye on your child

Never leave children at play unsupervised, whether in the playground or your yard.

“When it comes to playground safety, adult supervision is key,” says Kimberly Daubert, CRNP, with LVPG Pediatrics and Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital. “Not only can adults help prevent injuries by making sure kids properly use playground equipment, but if an injury does occur, they can help the child and provide any first aid necessary.”

2. Look around the playground

Do a quick visual survey of the playground, looking for any trash or debris that can cause injuries, such as broken glass or metal cans.

Perform an equipment spot-check to make sure equipment is secure, looking out for cracks, bends, warps, sharp edges, rust or breaks in the equipment. If the equipment is made of wood, check for any protruding nails or splinters in areas where your child might step, grab or slide.

Touch any spots on metal playgrounds that could potentially cause burns to make sure they’re at a comfortable temperature.

3. Make sure your child knows the rules of the playground

Kids must know how to be safe and act responsibly at the playground. That means:

• Never pushing or roughhousing

• Checking to make sure no other kids are in the way before jumping off equipment or the slide, landing on both feet with the knees slightly bent.

• Steering clear of wet, slippery playground equipment.

• Wearing appropriate playground clothing and avoiding clothes with drawstrings or cords. Also, be cautious of loose strings on clothing that can snag and may wrap around a child’s neck and cause choking.

• Taking regular breaks from playing to get a few sips of water or a snack.

4. Teach your child how to play on the equipment safely

Swings, slides and climbing equipment are where most playground injuries occur.

When playing on the swings, kids should:

• Always sit in the swing, not stand or kneel.

• Hold on tightly with both hands while swinging.

• Stop the swing completely before getting off.

• Stay a safe distance from other kids on swings, being careful to not run or walk in front of or behind moving swings.

• Never ride with more than one child to a swing.

When playing on the slide, kids should:

• Always slide down feet-first and sitting up, never headfirst or on their back or stomach.

• Always check that the bottom of the slide is clear.

• Get off the slide once they reach the bottom and move away.

• Never ride down the slide on someone else’s lap.

When playing on climbing equipment, kids should:

• Be aware of a safe way down in case they can’t complete the climb.

• Use both hands while climbing.

• Stay well behind the person in front of them.

• Beware of swinging feet.

If your child is injured, seek medical care. Minor injuries can be treated at LVHN ExpressCARE–Palmerton. For more serious injuries, go to LVH–Carbon for 24/7 care.