Can A Playground Be Too Safe?

[DCBlessings27]

Too Safe

I don't know that playgrounds can be too safe? I didn't actually read the article, but I've read the other comments and some of the thread that Nanny De posted about from Crystal.

I keep a careful eye on my kids and always feel that I am telling them they can't do this or that. I have to protect myself from sue-happy parents, and I don't want an accident to happen. The regs in my state only mandate that we have a use zone for the anchored playset. Basically, the area that needs to be clear behind and in front of the swings and in front of the slide. They don't regulate the depth of the surface underneath. I filled my 30'x30' play area with pea gravel, made it that large, and made it 12in deep because that was aligned with the manufacturer and federal guidelines. That way, I am helping myself if a child should get hurt by falling. I also set strict rules: only 2 kids are allowed on top of my little tykes tower, don't get in the way of the swings, never climb up the slide. I also don't let them go head first down the slide.

I do encourage running. I have grass and the kids love to run across the yard. My dcps are not afraid of the kids getting dirty or having bruises from running.

[Blackcat31]

Remember the merry-go-rounds? Those were the best! You will never see them on the park anymore because of all the injuries.

ALL of our public playgrounds have merry go rounds in them. Either we are living in the dark ages here or my community isn't all freaked out over liability issues. The elementary school just 2 blocks from me just built a new playground and they have a merry go round as well.

I also have a Little Tikes merry-go-round here.

[SilverSabre25]

Glad this resurfaced, , I'm pinning that article!

[MarinaVanessa]

Well I am glad for this article. I went as far as to Repost the article on my personal FB page, my DC FB page and my Childcare Association's FB page. Heck I even Tweeted it. As always, supervision is key.

One of the reasons I am not licensed is because I am sick of all of the red tape involved with children. Can we just let kids be kids?

Agreed, but make sure to keep in mind that just because you aren't licensed or registered that doesn't mean that you can't be sued if a child gets seriously hurt while in your care. So sad, so true but if a child falls down and seriously injurs themselves on a playground while on the parent's watch the parent doesn't get sued but the parent can choose to try to sue the city. In our case if a child was to get seriously hurt on the same playground while on our watch the parent could choose to sue us. It is what it is.

[BigMama]

In child care in translates into having to spot kids on equipment and having the financial liability if there is an injury. There's also the consequence thru DHS and child protective.

My state simply says "careful supervision at all times". A playground injury will be considered lack of supervision in the birth to five crowd.

With "risks" it's always the same thing. It's good when it's good. Not so good when it's not.

The cost of simple medical care now and the expectation that there are no injuries in child care is what keeps providers from taking risks.

"Sometimes, of course, their mastery fails, and falls are the common form of playground injury. But these rarely cause permanent damage, either physically or emotionally"

Decisions are based on "rarely".

So Nannyde, what do your child care children do outside? Do you have climbers, trikes, balls, room to run? Do you take them to the playground?

I was a VERY timid child - to the point of anxiety ridden and neurotic. There was an old wooden play set at the park near my house. To get to the top platform and go down the slide you had to climb up this wooden structure (not a ladder or steps) and slide on your belly through a two beams. I lived near this park from birth to age 14 and I never once went down this slide. I was so scared of even trying to climb up this structure. There was also an apparatus we called the rainbow. It was a large wooden arch with handles all the way around. I would stand with envy and watch my brothers and sister and the neighborhood kids traverse their way around the rainbow and I was too scared to even step up more than two handles. I spent my entire childhood never taking a chance because I was afraid of getting hurt.

Now as a child care provider, I appreciate risk-taking for the children. I have two small climbers in my backyard and we often go to public playgrounds. My rule is that I will not lift or boost anyone onto an equipment - they must be able to get onto it themselves. I do spot the younger tots on the slide, etc. but I don't hover over the kids. In public we follow general playground rules - down the slide only etc., but here we will have an "up slide" day once in a while. Healthy, active children need these experiences. I can predict that your response will be that the children can have these experiences at home with their parents because your child care children have at least 5 awake hours with their parents daily. I just want to point out that even if they have these hours with their parents a. their parents may still not take them outside to play b. most of my child care children have 5+ awake hours with one or both parents (I have mostly teacher's children) but the parents are so thankful we play outdoors daily as when they get home they must prepare dinner bath the children, do chores, etc. and c. just because there is a possibility that the children can experience something at home it doesn't absolve the child care's responsibility to provide those experiences to the children. One would never say well, their parents have time to read to them so I am not going to do that during child care.

[mrsp'slilpeeps]

OMG those were my FAVORITE!!! If you havn't ever been flung off of those as a kid you missed out !

I laughed and snorted at the same time thinking back to that moment. ::

As my own son would say, IM ALRIGHT....... THAT WAS AWSOME!!!!!

[daycare]

I am much like Nanny De with my outside rules.

I follow the School district rules to a T. This way they know them when they leave here. The are very strict.

I encourage my families to spend time taking their child to the park so that they can explore the park at their own free will. Children will get hurt, but they won't do it on my time.

[Crystal]

So Nannyde, what do your child care children do outside? Do you have climbers, trikes, balls, room to run? Do you take them to the playground?

I was a VERY timid child - to the point of anxiety ridden and neurotic. There was an old wooden play set at the park near my house. To get to the top platform and go down the slide you had to climb up this wooden structure (not a ladder or steps) and slide on your belly through a two beams. I lived near this park from birth to age 14 and I never once went down this slide. I was so scared of even trying to climb up this structure. There was also an apparatus we called the rainbow. It was a large wooden arch with handles all the way around. I would stand with envy and watch my brothers and sister and the neighborhood kids traverse their way around the rainbow and I was too scared to even step up more than two handles. I spent my entire childhood never taking a chance because I was afraid of getting hurt.

Now as a child care provider, I appreciate risk-taking for the children. I have two small climbers in my backyard and we often go to public playgrounds. My rule is that I will not lift or boost anyone onto an equipment - they must be able to get onto it themselves. I do spot the younger tots on the slide, etc. but I don't hover over the kids. In public we follow general playground rules - down the slide only etc., but here we will have an "up slide" day once in a while. Healthy, active children need these experiences. I can predict that your response will be that the children can have these experiences at home with their parents because your child care children have at least 5 awake hours with their parents daily. I just want to point out that even if they have these hours with their parents a. their parents may still not take them outside to play b. most of my child care children have 5+ awake hours with one or both parents (I have mostly teacher's children) but the parents are so thankful we play outdoors daily as when they get home they must prepare dinner bath the children, do chores, etc. and c. just because there is a possibility that the children can experience something at home it doesn't absolve the child care's responsibility to provide those experiences to the children. One would never say well, their parents have time to read to them so I am not going to do that during child care.

I'm pretty sure Nan doesn't do outdoor play at all due to possible liability issues.....she does a daily hike with her kiddos, if I remember correctly.

[MrsB]

Beware, this is in response to the OP but goes off topic quickly

Interesting topic. Something I may need to ponder before I have a strong opinion about.

Especially considering my 10 year old DS came home from school yesterday and said, they can't play tag in the field anymore. They have to use only the play equipment provided. I was a little baffled so I asked his teacher today about it during our weekly phone conference.

She said that they made the rule not to allow self-directed games in the open field at recess (like tag, kick ball, frisbee, etc) They are now required to stay in the playground area on the provided play equipment.

She explained that it wasn't really a liability issue of major injuries, but because all the minor injuries (scratches and minor brusies) that ended up in the nurses office. Supposedly now, every time a child complains of any injury they have to be sent to the nurses office for assessment. With the games like tag, they were having to many bandaid requests and after recess the nurses office would be full of 10-15 kids.

She also said the reason was because they had too many argurments over rules, who broke what rule, who was it, who lost, fits over losing or winning. In addition she said their have been so many parents filing bulling reports about kids being picked last for self directed games, targeted to be the first one out.

I can see it now, "I am being bullied because so and so said she doesnt want to be my friend anymore"

I get why the teachers dont want to be referee and I dont stand for bullying what so ever!

Shouldn't 5th graders be able to be given the responsibility of creating their own games and working out their problems themselves, without adults always intervening. And these kids that feel like they are being bullied for silly things like being picked last. We have a responsibility to teach our children to stand up for themselves and be their own voice. I feel like some are interpreting unfair = bullying.

Oh boy! I wonder how our intense games of dodgeball when I was in 5th grade would go over at this school!

[smb757]

I'm laughing at my thread because just last weekend, I took my own two children to the neighborhood park. My daughter, who is just barely 2, is my daredevil. She climbed every ladder, went down the tallest slides, etc (all with either my husband or I right there). Then on the way home, she got a little too excited, started to run and face-planted in the sidewalk. It would figure. :-)