Play it safe
Avoiding injuries on the playground
PLAYGROUNDS ARE FUN, offering great opportunities for recreation, exploration and exercise for kids. However, they can also be a source of unintentional injuries, most commonly falls.
Some falls may result in bruises, cuts and scrapes. In more serious cases, kids might break bones or hit their head hard enough to sustain a traumatic brain injury that requires a trip to the emergency department.
From 2017–2024, Kentucky children averaged about 1,985 emergency department visits each year due to playground falls—and 52% of them were ages 5–8. The most common playground locations for Kentucky’s kids playground-related falls were school playgrounds (41%), followed by home (21%) and public park (19%) playgrounds.
The most common body areas injured were the legs and arms (71%), followed by the head and neck (22%). More than half of these injuries seen in the emergency department were fractures, followed by superficial injuries or contusions and open wounds.
It’s important to stay attentive and engaged while your kid plays, which may mean less phone use and conversations. You can also protect your child by inspecting the playground equipment. Here is a quick checklist to help:
Make sure the area surrounding the playground has at least a foot of mulch, sand, wood chips, etc. to protect against falls.
- Make sure kids play on age-appropriate equipment.
- Touch playground equipment to make sure surfaces are not too hot.
- Look for any sharp points, edges or hardware sticking out from equipment.
- Look for tripping hazards including concrete, rocks and tree roots.
- Make sure all elevated surfaces have railings to prevent falls.
- Show your kids how to use playground equipment correctly.
- Check playground equipment regularly, as specific equipment requires extra safety measures.
