Now that the warm weather is finally here, summer is underway and kids are finishing up their last day of school already! With all of this extra time and beautiful weather, children will be out playing, riding their bike, and hanging out at the playground on a regular routine.
While, we like to think that playgrounds are a happy and social place; which for the most part they are, in some cases one bad apple can ruin your child’s playground experience. Be sure you are courteous and considerate when you take your child to a nearby playground; being aware of the safety and well-being of your child and the children around you, can make a world of difference.
At SPI we design and manufacture playgrounds for parks, daycares, schools, and businesses. Through our experience, we highly suggest that you consider practicing the following etiquette rules next time you bring your children to the park:
- Take responsibility for your child – while this may go without saying, don’t ever leave your child to play on their own without proper supervision. Another parent may alert you if your child is up to something that appears dangerous or if it looks like they are going to hurt themselves, at the end of the day you should catch such a risk before it happens. Stay focused, and do your best to leave any distractions at home. Your focus should always be on your child so that you are prepared and ready if you need to intervene.
- Request cooperation if necessary – There are varying views when it comes to what is appropriate communication to use with children that aren’t your own; so rather than potentially arguing with a parent of the opposite belief, try requesting cooperation from a child that may be behaving badly. For example consider saying something like “my daughter would like to use the slide, could you please let her?” rather than “you need to get out of the way, now”. All of this is typically common sense, but sometimes we can overreact in the moment unintentionally, so it’s important to keep this consideration in mind.
- Do your best to put phones and other electronics away – While tempting, you should make an effort to be on your phone as little as possible, especially if the playground is full of children. Keep in mind that it is not just about the supervision of your children, it’s also important to ensure your child isn’t causing any harm or injury to other children on the playground as well. Things happen fast, so it is always wise to stay alert and aware for the duration of the playtime.
- Make sure other children have a turn – It’s a good idea to promote sharing and playing with others; this is a great opportunity to take advantage of if you see that there is a line forming behind a slide or swing. Teaching your child about the importance of sharing means it doesn’t have to be a negative for your child to end his/her turn.
- Follow age limit or age recommendations – Always ensure that the equipment your child uses is age-appropriate. It’s not a fun or safe situation when a 11 year old is using a slide that intended for a 4 year old child.
Remember that if you are at the playground you should be taking monitoring of your child seriously at all times, whether you are a parent or caregiver. Following these simple suggestions can make the time you spend at the playground far more enjoyable and it teaches your child social skills and manners.
SPI is a leader in the playground component industry! Whether you are interested in playground components (climbers, slides, tubes, elbows) or our unique contained and daycare play systems, SPI has an extensive line of outdoor playground equipment offering a wide array of color combinations, and custom designs to meet your every need. Safety standards around the world are observed, understood and applied in the creation of each and every SPI product.
Reach out to SPI for more information on our playgrounds. Call 1-800-269-6533