Taking your children to a playground this summer is a great way to have fun, and to get fresh air and exercise. Be warned though, playgrounds can also pose some safety hazards. As a matter of fact, according to KidsHealth.org, more than 200,000 kids are treated in the hospital ERs for playground-related injuries, each year.

One of the most important factors in reducing playground injuries, as well as the severity of injuries, is to pay attention to the surface under the equipment. It should be soft enough and thick enough to impact the child’s fall. Even proper surfacing cannot prevent all injuries, but here are some things to consider:

• Concrete, asphalt, and blacktop are unsafe and unacceptable. Grass, soil, and packed-earth surfaces are also unsafe because weather and wear can reduce their capacities to cushion a child's fall.
• The playground surface should be free of standing water and debris that could cause kids to trip and fall, such as rocks, tree stumps, and tree roots.
• There should be no dangerous materials, like broken glass or twisted metal.
• The surfaces may be loosely filled with materials like wood chips, mulch, sand, pea gravel, or shredded rubber.
• Surfacing mats made of safety-tested rubber or rubber-like materials are also safe.
• Rubber mats and wood chips allow the best access for people in wheelchairs.
• Loose-fill surface materials 12-inches deep should be used for equipment up to eight-feet high. The material should not be packed down because this will reduce any cushioning effect.
• No surfacing materials are considered safe if the combined height of playground and the child (standing on the highest platform) is higher than 12-feet.
• The cushioned surface should extend at least six-feet past the equipment. Additional coverage may be needed, depending on how high a slide is or how long a swing is.
• If there is loose-fill over a hard surface (like asphalt or concrete), there should be three to six-inches of loose-fill like gravel, a layer of geotextile cloth, a layer of loose-fill surfacing material, and then impact mats under the playground equipment.
  

All playground equipment should be designed for three different age groups: infants and toddlers under two, two to five year olds, and five to twelve year olds. The younger age group should not play on equipment meant for older kids because equipment sizes and proportions won’t be accurate. Also, older kids should not play on equipment meant for younger kids because smaller equipment and spaces can cause problems for bigger kids.

Here are some things to check for to ensure the equipment is designed and spaced to be safe:

• Guardrails and protective barriers should be in place for elevated surfaces, including platforms and ramps.
• Play structures more than 30-inches high should be spaced at least nine- feet apart.
• Swings, seesaws, and other equipment with moving parts should be located in an area separate from the rest of the playground.
• Swings should be limited to two per bay.
• Tot swings with full bucket seats should have their own bay.
• Swings should be spaced at least 24-inches apart and 30-inches between a swing and the support frame.
• Be sure there are no spaces that could trap a child's head, arm, or any other body part. All openings on equipment (for example, rungs on a ladder) should measure less than three and a half - inches or they should be wider than nine-inches.
• Playground equipment with moving parts — like seesaws and merry-go-rounds — should be checked for pinch points that could pinch or crush a child's finger or hand.
  

Playground equipment should be in top shape for your child to play on. When you get to the playground, make sure the equipment is clean and well maintained. Check for objects that stick out and could cut a child. There should be no loose or broken parts, plastic and wood should show no signs of weakening, and there should be no rusted or splintered surfaces.

If the playground you are visiting has a sandbox, check for hazardous debris like sharp sticks, rocks, and glass, and bee sure the sand is free of bugs. Check to see if the sandbox is covered overnight to prevent contamination from animals, such as cats.

Before visiting the playground, kids should know how to be safe and act responsibly. Here are some rules to teach your children:

• Never push or roughhouse while on jungle gyms, slides, seesaws, swings, and other equipment.
• Use equipment properly — slide feet first, don't climb outside guardrails, no standing on swings, etc.
• If you jump off equipment, always check to make sure no other kids are in the way. When you jump, land on both feet with knees slightly bent.
• Leave bikes, backpacks, and bags away from the equipment and the area where you're playing so that no one trips over them.
• Playground equipment should never be used if it is wet because moisture causes the surface to be slippery.
• During the summertime, playground equipment can become uncomfortably or even dangerously hot, especially metal slides. So use good judgment — if the equipment feels hot to the touch, it's probably not safe or fun to play on.
• Don't wear clothes with drawstrings or other strings at the playground. Drawstrings, purses, and necklaces could get caught on equipment and accidentally strangle a child.
• Wear sunscreen when playing outside even on cloudy days so that you don't get sunburned.
  

Swing Safety
Swings are the most frequent source of childhood injuries from moving equipment on a playground. But a few simple precautions should keep kids safely swinging in the breeze:

• Swings should be made of soft material such as rubber or plastic, not wood or metal.
• Kids should always sit in the swing, not stand or kneel. They should hold on tightly with both hands while swinging, and when finished swinging, stop the swing completely before getting off.
• Children should stay a safe distance from other kids on swings, being careful not to run or walk in front of or in back of moving swings.
• Kids should never ride with more than one child to a swing. Swings are designed to safely hold only one person.
  

Seesaw Safety
Because seesaw use requires cooperation between kids, they're generally not recommended for preschoolers unless the seesaw has a spring-centering device to prevent abrupt contact with the ground. Regardless of design, both seesaws and merry-go-rounds should be approached with caution. Other safety tips to keep in mind:

• Seesaw seats are like swings: one child per seat. A child who is too light to seesaw with a partner should find a different partner — not add another child to his or her side of the seesaw.
  
• Kids should always sit facing one another, not turned around.
  
• Teach kids to hold on tightly with both hands while on a seesaw, not to touch the ground or push off with their hands, and to keep feet to the sides, out from underneath the seesaw.
  
• Kids should stand back from a seesaw when it's in use. They should never stand beneath a raised seesaw, stand and rock in the middle, or try to climb onto it while it's in motion.
  

Slide Safety
Slides are safe if kids are careful when using them. Guidelines to keep in mind:

• Children should take one step at a time and hold onto the handrail when climbing the ladder to the top of the slide. They should not climb up the slide itself to get to the top.
• Kids should always slide down feet first and sitting up, never head first on their back or stomach.
• Only one child should be on the slide platform at a time, and kids shouldn't slide down in groups.
• Kids should always check that the bottom of the slide is clear before sliding down. When they reach the bottom, they should get off and move away from the end of the slide so it's clear for other kids to slide down.
  

Climbing Equipment Safety
Climbing equipment comes in many shapes and sizes — including rock climbing walls, arches, and vertical and horizontal ladders. It's generally more challenging for kids than other kinds of playground equipment.

Be sure your kids are aware of a safe way down in case they can't complete the climb. The highest rates of injuries on public playgrounds are associated with climbing equipment, which is dangerous if not designed or used properly. Adult supervision is especially important for younger kids.

Climbing equipment can be used safely if kids are taught to use both hands and to stay well behind the person in front of them and beware of swinging feet. When they drop from the bars, kids should be able to jump down without hitting the equipment on the way down. Remind kids to have their knees bent and land on both feet.

• Too many kids on the equipment at one time can be dangerous. Everyone should start on the same side of the equipment and move across it in the same direction.
  
• When climbing down, kids should watch for those climbing up; they should never race across or try to reach for bars that are too far ahead.
  
• Children younger than age five may not have the upper-body strength necessary for climbing and should only be allowed to climb on age-appropriate equipment. Preschoolers should only climb five-feet high and school-age kids should only climb seven-feet high.