Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Playground
  • Surfacing
  • Parks
  • Athletics
  • Aquatics
  • Play
Home
  • Playground
  • Surfacing
  • Parks
  • Athletics
  • Aquatics
  • Play
  • Build a Sandbox
  • The Play Value Of Sand
  • With Community Helpers the Play Lady Receives the Fred Rodgers Helpers Award
  • Texas Legislating Recess
  • Keeping the Fun in Fundraising
  • See Accessibility Through the Eyes of a Child
  • Outdoor Play for Children with Intellectual Disabilities on Playgrounds

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Play
  3. Education
  4. The Weakest Link

The Weakest Link

Education
January 01, 2002
Profile picture for user Playground Magazine
By Playground Magazine on
  • facebook-f
  • twitter
  • envelope
  • print
635
Education is Critical in Working with Playground Stewards

Education is Critical in Working with Playground Stewards

As I sat watching the stern British Host of television's "The Weakest Link," I thought of what might happen if some of the people I had worked with recently were on the show having to answer questions about playground safety.

In the last twenty years, government agencies and the playground industry have developed playground safety criteria based on research and data that promotes the safest possible playground environment. Much time and energy has been invested in teaching adults, who are responsible for playgrounds, about how to provide a reasonably safe play area. Yet there are still the people I guess would be "The Weakest Link."

Recently I met with a mayor of a small town for whom we just installed a wonderful IPEMA-certified play structure. We used ADA-approved surfacing and followed consumer product guidelines. Local citizens had spent two years fundraising to provide the cash to put together this $40,000, fully compliant structure and play area.

Our conversation turned to the 40-year-old, out-of-date play equipment still standing in the park. This equipment was riddled with safety violations: entanglements, entrapments, protrusions, and sat on top of good old solid turf.

Sometimes it is a challenge to impart safety information to everyone in charge of playgrounds. Such was the case with this rural-America mayor. I explained how children have died from entanglements. I told him of thousands of children each year that go to emergency rooms because of protrusions and inadequate safety surfacing.

To my surprise, the mayor was unimpressed and told me quite frankly, "no children have died on our playground."

Although he was thrilled with the addition of the new play equipment, he had no intention of removing the outdated play equipment.

I retrieved my Consumer Product Safety Commission guidelines from my vehicle and explained that these guidelines were developed by the CPSC. I explained that these are the same people responsible for the fast-food restaurant child meal toys guidelines as well as the rules for baby cribs. These are the people responsible for the design of child restraint safety seats we use in our vehicles. The CPSC, I explained, develops a reasonable standard for safety to protect children who often lack the judgment to keep safety as a priority in their own activities. I tried to impart that, as adults, it is our responsibility to be aware of and strive for perfection in these areas. The mayor was still unmoved.

I then asked him why he put his grandchildren in a safety seat when he drove them to town. He responded, "So I don't get a ticket." This, of course, was a selfish and short-sited excuse for the real reason car safety restraints are required. I can visualize the British prime-time T.V. host taking advantage of this moment to describe the mayor's weakness and exploit his lack of knowledge, followed by her trademark statement, "You are the weakest link-Goodbye."

Such lack of understanding and commitment to the children of our community must be removed from the minds of the people and agencies responsible for the safety of America's children on the playground. It demonstrates that we have much work to do in our commitment to eliminate as many hazards from playgrounds as possible. Just as car safety seats restraints are designed to help save lives, and are known to have saved lives, so too are today's playgrounds designed to provide a reasonable standard of safety.

It is my experience that urban America has, for the most part, taken playground safety standards to heart. They have used adherence to the guidelines, standards, and accessibility laws to their advantage. They incorporate the CPSC, ASTM, and ADA into their park and recreation budgets and training programs, thereby providing the very fuel needed to build and maintain compliant playgrounds.

It is time for all of America to embrace the safety criteria that builds safe playgrounds. Analyze your current equipment and the ways you currently fund- or don't fund-your parks system. Research ways to update your play areas to put them in compliance with ADA laws, CPSC guidelines, and ASTM standards. There is currently a piece of legislation that, if passed, could put extra funding tools into the hands of every would-be playground owner, just for bringing your playgrounds into compliance with the CPSC. It's a win-win situation for the kids, the leaders, and the community.

Playground stewardship and playground safety are inseparable. There are no playground police to write you a ticket. Still, every playground provider is charged with making "safe play" areas. Take control of your play area. Think about how a five-year-old child needs help in keeping safe and then you may escape the British wrath and maybe ... "The Strongest Link."

Add new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
About text formats

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
Profile picture for user Playground Magazine
Playground Magazine
Published 21 years ago
Last updated 10 months ago
635
2
min read
A- A+
  • facebook-f
  • twitter
  • envelope
  • print

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter

More About Education

10 Children Books To Inspire Creativity
Feb 11, 2020
Education

10 Children Books To Inspire Creativity

Nancy Howard
How Educational Videos Are Beneficial for Children?
Apr 27, 2021
Education

How Educational Videos Are Beneficial for Children?

Inna Atwood
Jul 01, 2006
Education

More than just a playground

Playground Magazine
The Adventurous Child Weather Station Learning Center
Dec 09, 2013
Education

The Adventurous Child Weather Station Learning Center

PGP
Oct 30, 2013
Education

Encyclopedia of Play Science

Playground Magazine
Favorite Subject at School? Recess, of Course!
Dec 18, 2013
Education

Favorite Subject at School? Recess, of Course!

Melinda Bossenmeyer
Arithmetic and Geometry in the Playground
Dec 13, 2017
Education

Arithmetic and Geometry in the Playground

Yaara Haham
Oct 01, 2005
Education

The Long and Short of Abbreviations

Playground Magazine
Colorful play structure
Aug 17, 2018
Education

Make the Mystery of Math Easy Through Routine Acts

John Williams
Teacher Appreciation
Apr 20, 2020
Education

4 Unique Ways to Give Thanks to Teachers Right Now

Kacey Mya
Early Intervention Center Gives a Head Start
Mar 01, 2002
Education

Rocket Science

Playground Magazine
family saving money in a piggy bank
Jan 19, 2021
Education

How Can You Use Play to Teach Kids About Money?

PGP

Education Professionals

Peaceful Playgrounds Foundation
Peaceful Playgrounds Foundation
Organization
More
US Play Coalition
US Play Coalition
Organization
More
Shape America
Shape America
Organization
More
Association for Childhood Education International
Association for Childhood Education International
Organization
More
National Association for the Education of Young Children
National Association for the Education of Young Children
Organization
More
New England Symposium On Play
New England Symposium On Play
Organization
More
Lakeshore Learning Materials
Lakeshore Learning Materials
Manufacturer
More
KidKiddos Books
KidKiddos Books
Organization
More
Guildcraft Arts & Crafts
Guildcraft Arts & Crafts
Sales Rep
More
Playworks
Playworks
Organization
More
Tout About Toys
Tout About Toys
Manufacturer
More
Natural Learning Initiative
Natural Learning Initiative
Organization
More
Home

Follow Us

Play and playground news and information since 2001

  • instagram
  • facebook-f
  • twitter
  • pinterest
  • linkedin

Company

  • Playground Magazine
  • Contributors
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Copyright © 2001 - 2023 Playground Professionals, LLC

Footer menu

  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Terms and conditions