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Monday, April 29, 2013

Playground Equipment – Safety Measures to Consider

Playground is important for the overall growth of children but the thing you should not forget is their safety. It is often seen that many children get injuries while falling from the playground equipment. Therefore, you should give primary importance to the safety of your children. The surface of the playground should be made of rubber. The rubber surfacing will ensure that children will not get severe injuries. 4-6 inches of rubber mulch is enough for 12 feet playground equipment, which is a standard size of any equipment.

Rubber mulch is made from recycled rubber, which can be used in gardens or backyard areas. But it requires maintenance after a regular interval of time. You can also go for other surfaces like artificial turf, which is maintenance free. But the only drawback with this is that it is very expensive. On the other hand, rubber mulch is cost effective and available in several colors and pavement designs. It results in no or very less injuries, as it bounces back your children when they fall on it.

Playground equipment is of two types – indoor and outdoor. Indoor playground equipment includes climbing decks, indoor tubes for crawling, and indoor slides, etc. This equipment keeps your children safe from outdoor hazards and it will be convenient for you as well to keep a constant eye on your kids. On the other hand, outdoor playground equipment includes swingset, seesaw, jungle gym, outdoor slides, merry go round, chin-up bars, etc. Installing playground equipment outside in your backyard is a better option as your kids will a lot of space to enjoy themselves. As far as safety is concerned, you can also install shades to keep your kids safe from harmful Ultra-violet rays and scorching heat. Shade structures also come in several designs, colors, and sizes.

Besides all those safety measures, your constant supervision is also required. As parents your top priority should be the safety of your kids besides all the fun and entertainment. But also make sure that you should not disturb the kids again and again in order to show concern about them. Let them enjoy to the fullest at playground slides and other equipment.

The Importance of Shade Structures at Playgrounds

During summers, the scorching sun heat and dangerous ultra-violet rays can become hindrance in the enjoyment of your kids. They can't go outside to rejuvenate themselves and spend quality time with their friends at the playground. Overexposure to Sun at an early age can become the reason for many diseases. To keep them safe from these hindrances and also giving them adequate time to play at the same time, you can go for the shade structures. It is very important to have shade structures at your homes, offices, and outdoors.

Shade structures not only keep your kids safe but they also look very elegant and stylish. You can find a number of shade structures available in different sizes, colors, and designs such as umbrella square shade, rectangular shade shelter, hexagon shade shelter, cantilever shade shelter, steel shelter, etc. Netting structure should be your first preference as it can block up to 90 - 95% of the UV rays from harming your kids. As it is available in different colors, you can choose a color complementing your garden and house.

But steel shelters are very much in demand nowadays, as once installed they will last for at least for a decade. Longevity is one of the main reasons why people go for the steel shelter. At almost every public playground, parking lots, stadiums, etc. you can find the steel shelter structure. On the other hand, installing a steel shelter is very expensive. As most of the steel shelters have a basic design, so you can't also find a variety in its designs.

Playground plays a vital role in the upbringing of kids. It not only gives them physical strength but mental strength as well. Your kid will get a chance to become socially active by interacting with other kids of the same age group. So, you should allow them going outside to spend quality time with their friends. But you should also not forget their safety from outside hazards and try to protect them as much as you can. As the skin of the kids are very sensitive, so you should make sure that there is a good quality shade structure at a playground to protect them from harmful Sun rays.

Monday, April 15, 2013

Benefits of Playground

Do you want to see a smile on the face of your children? Do you want to make their childhood more special? If so, just buy playground equipment for them. Now-a-days, there is a huge demand of playground equipment and parents from all over the world are purchasing them for their children. The reason behind this is that playgrounds play a very vital role in the lives of children.

Talking about the benefits of playground, there are usually four major benefits:

  1. Physical Benefits: Modern playgrounds often have recreational equipment such as swing set, jungle gym, seesaw, chin-up bars, ladder, merry-go-round, and sandbox, etc. The equipment plays a very important role to develop physical strength among children. By doing the physical activities like running, crawling, jumping, sliding, and swinging, etc. children get a chance to be active, improve their motor skills and coordination.
  2. Mental Benefits: Besides physical strength, playground helps the brains of children to develop. According to the experts, the first six years of life are very important. The things which children learn in this phase will remain with them throughout their lives. So, for the mental growth of the children, it is important to utilize these years.
  3. Social Benefits: Involving children in the playground activities make them socially active. They will get a chance to interact with a number of other children with whom they can share their experiences. With this, introvert children also get enough chances to remove their hesitance and can easily communicate with others.
  4. Self-Confidence: It is often seen that most of the children lack self-confidence, which is a very important component in one's life. By learning new activities like climbing and sliding, the self-confidence among children increases. This self-confidence also helps children in other areas of their lives such as while communicating to others, they will not feel shy and can continue the conversation for long.

Preschool outdoor play equipment helps children to learn the things quickly, which is difficult to learn otherwise. Many experts have also advised that, children should frequently take part in the activities related to playground. This will help them to develop their personalities at the early stage of their lives.

Things to Remember While Purchasing Playground Equipment

Playground is an activity place where children get involved in a number of physical activities and games, which keep them socially active & physically fit.

The recreational activities in the playground also help to develop coordination skills among children. Running, swinging, sliding, jumping, and crawling etc. can enhance their physical as well as mental strength. Hence, it is said that a playground is a complete recreational package for children.

Playgrounds have evolved with time. The modern playgrounds have equipment such as swing set, seesaw, merry-go-round, sandbox, slide, and playhouses, etc.

Nowadays, most of the parents are opting for in-house playground, as it is a more convenient way of keeping a watch on the kids. As a result, a number of retailers have jumped into this industry and are selling almost all the variety of equipment. If you are looking to buy play equipment for your children, there are certain things that you should keep in mind:

  • First and foremost thing is to check the credibility of the online retailer. You should inquire about the reputation and reliability of the retailer in the market.
  • The safety issue comes next. Check whether the playground equipment is made as per the safety measures. There are chances of kids falling from the equipment while playing, so, make sure that the surface is capable enough to protect your children.
  • Another important factor is the proper design and spacing of the playground. Usually, the playground equipment is designed for three different age groups, infants and toddlers, 2-5 year-olds, and 5-12 year-olds. You should select the equipment according to the age group of your children.
  • As parents, the most important thing for you will be the health of your children. Always check whether the material used in the making of the playground is environment friendly and would not have an adverse effect on their health.

Childhood is the most important stage in anybody's life. Make it more special by installing the best of playground equipment. Swing set is one of the best options to consider while making a purchase.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Make Backyard Playground for Kids

What would bring more joy to your kids' faces than their own private playground in the backyard of home? Here, they can play with their friends at any time and you can also get a way of keeping an eye on their notorious activities. But what it takes to make the great backyard playground? Well, if you follow the right steps, you would be easily able to create a fun-filled and safe playground for your kids.

Know the size of your backyard. With big backyard, you would hardly face any problem. But if you have a small one, begin with measuring the area where you will install the playground equipment. By this, you would be able to get an idea what type of equipment can fit well in the size. Leave some empty space in all the sides of play set for kids to perform other activities.

Search for playground Equipment. Look for the one, which is not only entertaining but is also safe for children. There are many types of play sets like dome climber, swing sets, slides, playhouses etc. that are a hit in the backyard playground. You can select any of these but make sure it is available in the size perfect for your yard.

Before installing the playground equipment, cover your backyard surface with high quality mulch. You can easily get it at any tangible or online store. For backyard, a majority of parents opt for recycled rubber mulch. It is made of recycled products and has a life expectancy of twice as long as other mulch. Moreover, recycled mulch can absorb moisture up to any extent providing the non-slippery surface to kids.

How to Make a Safe Playground for Kids?

Playground will always remain the first choice of kids. They love playing with their friends on different equipment in these parks. No doubt playgrounds are fun but when it comes to the safety of children only few of them turn out to be safe for kids. If you are handling your community park, make sure it is well equipped with the measures to provide a safe play area to children.

Surface

You should cover the surface of ground with high quality mulch. It provides cushioning surface and prevents the risk of any kind of injury to kids. There are different types of mulch like Engineered fiber, Pea Gravel etc. available in the market. A majority of people prefer installing recycled rubber mulch for its numerous benefits.

Playground Equipment

Always buy the play sets for playground from an IPEMA certified manufacturer as he offers only superior grade equipment to their customers. Before making the final purchasing decision, make sure all the guidelines defined by ASTM and CPSC have been followed while constructing the equipment. Also, ensure that there is no pointed edge or rough surface left uncovered in the playground equipment.

Label Equipment

You must label children's play equipment well. No single equipment is appropriate for kids of all ages. Manufacturers usually keep a certain age brackets in mind while defining aspects like height and complexity of the play sets. Therefore, you must label the equipment in your playground to let guardians understand which set is appropriate and safe for their kids.

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