Playground equipment is a joy for every child, aren’t they? For parents and teachers, they give an opportunity for kids to use up their energy and make full use of their imagination. Then for adults, there is the dark side of playground slides!
The hardest thing about being a substitute teacher is playground duty. It’s not because the kids are that bad, not that the weather is so horrible. It’s because as a teacher, you’re supposed to be watching the kids, not playing on the equipment.
Otherwise, one may end up like this poor guy. Tube slides are something that came along after my playground days. I can just imagine how terrifying it would be for a grown man to get caught in one of those things. Perhaps I should find out…
Heat and and a Playground
However, thanks to my sister, I discovered there really is a danger lurking at hot playgrounds. Adults need to beware when the heat and sun bake playground equipment. Who knew that equipment could get up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit?
We tend to not think about playground safety because we assume somebody has already taken care of that for us. However, emergency departments in the United States treat up to 200,000 children a year for playground-related injuries. Unfortunately, the CDC had no statistics for adults stuck in a slide.
Fortunately, there is an organization dedicated to playground safety. You can visit the National Program for Playground Safety (NPPS) for good information and training on how to keep playgrounds safe. Adult supervision is key. None of us should use a playground as a babysitter and leave the kids to theirselves. That is dangerous for so many reasons!
In conclusion, keep playground safety in mind. Our kids deserve a safe place to play. And whatever you do, especially if you are an adult, be sure to watch out for the dark side of playground slides!
I drew this cartoon for Kidzmatter Magazine.
Editor’s Note: I originally published this blog on October 6, 2015. I revamped and updated it for timeliness and comprehensiveness.
