At this time last year, COVID-19 left playgrounds across America closed off with yellow safety tape to prevent children from playing on the equipment and potentially spreading the virus.
To visit a playground today, the Centers for Disease and Control (CDC) recommends the following:
- Maintain a distance of at least 6 feet away from people you don't live with
- Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
Click here for additional information on the CDC recommendations for Parks and Recreation.
Rate Your Playground - Does Your Playground Make the Grade?
Playground report cards grade playgrounds in the 4 areas of the National Action Plan for the Prevention of Playground Injuries S.A.F.E. model:
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Supervision
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Age appropriate design
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Fall surfacing
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Equipment maintenance
What overall grade rating do you think Alaska's playgrounds fall under? A? B?
Guess again - in 2004, the National Program for Playground Safety (NPPS) rated Alaska school playgrounds with a C+ grade, a full grade lower from a B rating in 2000. At the time of the report in 2004, more than half of the playground equipment across Alaska's schools and parks had been installed prior to 1998, and one-third of the playground equipment was more than 10 years old!
Typically, new playground equipment lasts 8-10 years after its original installation date. However, newer playground equipment can last as long as 15-20 years without any updates, or as long as warranty supports.
This is an excellent time to complete playground equipment safety checks and inspections.
Evaluate your playground using the following criteria: supervision, age-appropriate design, fall surfacing, and equipment maintenance. Use this Playground Safety Report Card to see if your school or city playground makes the grade!
We encourage you to also visit our AMLJIA Online University at www.amljia.org and complete the free "Playground Safety" training course.
Let's enjoy this summer and our playgrounds!!!
