Playground tips
Many children have found childhood memories of playing at the playground. There are some great playground games and activities that can keep a child busy for hours and make sure they have a great day.
Mother, May I
This game allows children to test their ability to follow rules. One person is selected as the leader. That person is known as Mama. The rest of the kids playing keep the role of being kids. When Mama called out something for one player to do at a time such as hopping on one foot. Before completing this action the player has to say “Mama, May I”. If they forget to say this they are out. This game is played until there is one player left standing.
Red Light, Green Light
This is a classic childhood game. A leader is selected and they stand across the field from the other players. The others stand in a line. When the leader says green light the players come forward. When the leader says red light everyone has stop moving. If the player does not stop they are out. The last player left is the winner.
King of the Hill
The object of this game is for a player to stay at the of the hill or a designated area. One player starts off by being the King. The other players may try to push the king off of the hill of his spot. Kicking, hitting, and punching are not allowed.
FourSquare
This is a simple game to play. On the ground a child will draw a large square with chalk. They will then divide this into four smaller squares and they are numbered one to four. The player will bounce a ball into the square of another player. The player must then bounce the ball once in their square and then pass it off to another player. This should be done until a mistake is made and there is one player left.
Horse
This is a fun basketball game to play and can be played with as little as two players. One player will make a shot at the basketball hoop. If they make it the next player has to shoot from the same spot. If a player misses they get a letter in the word course. The shots are repeated until a player has missed enough shots to spell out the entire word horse.
Dodgeball
This game can get intense. The children divide into two groups and stand on the opposite side of a field of blacktop from each other. The kids toss the ball at people on the other team. If a player gets hit they are out. This game is played until there is one person left standing. It is best to play this with a soft ball so no one gets hurt.
Swing Pretend
Swing sets are fun to play on and children love to pretend. While on the swings the children can pretend they are astronauts, birds, or others that fly through the air on great adventures.
Tag
This classic game is easy to play. One player is selected to be it. They will run around and try to touch another player. If they are able to touch someone that player is now it and chases to chase the other children. This can go on until everyone is tired out.
Hopscotch
This game can be played alone or children can play it together. They need to draw the outline of the board starting with the number one on top. A stone is thrown and whatever number it lands on the children have to avoid. This game can be played over and over again.
Jump Rope
There are so many variations of this game. A person can play by themselves with one rope and jump over it. This game can be made more fun with several children and several ropes. It there are even ropes going around it can be challenging and fun at the same time. There are even United States Jump Rope Competitions where players can win some nice prizes.
These are some of the best games for the playground. These games can keep a child entertained for hours and are a lot of fun to play.
As a parent, you know how challenging playgrounds can become. The reason is it’s your kids who make you visit it regularly. Other parents are also there with children. Every playground has its rules, but you may find some ignoring them.
It’s also common to see other kids looking on as if they want a bite, for example, when yours are eating. However, they may be allergic to certain foods or snacks. Other parents may also spot your kid playing dangerously, and ask themselves if your child came alone. This post looks at 8 playground etiquette rules and tips to observe as parents.
Toys
Kids don’t know if toys or anything else may have owners. Denying them means they start crying. The best way is by asking the other kids’ parents if your child can play with that toy, for example, for 5 minutes. Most mums and dads will accept after such requests.
However, avoid letting your child play with infants' toys. That’s especially for those attached to their baby strollers. The reason is bigger kids may have dirty hands out of running around the field. You also don’t want to distract an infant playing alone in their stroller.
Age
Some parents put toddlers on playing equipment meant for older children. That puts these babies at risk of getting hurt. As a concerned parent, you may decide to remind them of age limits.
The best way is by excusing yourself and telling them about previous incidences. Most parents will appreciate.
Short Calls for Kids
Another playground etiquette rule for parents to observe is when your baby wants to pee. As much as you may offend other parents, you can take your kid to the bushes or sides, for example, if the washrooms are far.
However, make sure you carry wipers and changing clothes. Kids can get messy in the process. Consider purchasing a portable potty in the case your favorite playground doesn’t have nearby toilets.
Equipment
Ensure that your children play with equipment that matches their age. For instance, kids between 2-5 years have a stronger center of gravity. Let them play with short railings and small steps equipment. You can also let them enjoy in crawl tunnels, slides not higher that 4 feet and tot swings.
For children between the ages of 5-12, you should remember they have strong muscle coordination and arm length. That means they can play with climbing equipment, seesaws, tall slides and horizontal bars.
Queues
Sometimes kids take too much time on equipment such as swings. It’s a good idea not to interrupt a kid who's having fun. The best way is to teach your children how to share such things. That’s by letting them know they only have 5 minutes left.
If it’s another parent who's refusing to give turns, you can approach them and inform them of a queue. In most cases, they will accept.
Food
When handling food in amusements parks, ensure you carry garbage bags. That prevents food particles or snacks getting thrown around the playing field. Trash bags help to keep the area clean, and also eliminate ants that feed on leftover food.
Keep an Eye on Your Kids
You should also monitor your children’s movements on the playground. That’s because kids are competitive. They may get into arguments with other kids on whom to use toys or swings first.
You want them to play, but also be courteous to others. You should also encourage them to apologize if they are the ones on the wrong side.
Swings and Slides
Make sure you teach your children to be careful when approaching swings. They should not approach them towards the direction of someone who’s swinging. The best way is to wait until another child is done. That avoids injuries to them.
You also don’t want your child climbing slides. That’s because they risk getting injured if other kids come down from the top. Prevent them from throwing sand or splashing water onto slides. That also minimizes risks of accidents happening when other kids start playing.
Conclusion
Going out with your children should be easier by applying the above playground etiquette rules and tips. Remember to teach them about sharing and to avoid risky behaviors such as climbing on slides.
For many children, playing on the playground is the highlight of their lives and they enjoy every minute of it. However, when children are playing on the playground, they become dismissive of potential dangers that could put them in harm’s way and it can be stressful for parents not having the proper tools when disaster strikes.
Many parents will agree that playground safety is one of the most important tools that parents and children will ever own, it consists of preventive measures and rules that can keep children from getting hurt. There are rules to follow as well as playground safety tips to keep in mind at all times.
Unsafe playground equipment use
To many children, some of their playground equipment can be unsafe for use and can cause undue harm to the child. Although there are times where this might be seen as a rarity, it is something that happens more than most people think.
Some of the equipment can be anything from loose ladder wrung or a loose bolt on the seesaw, and sometimes it could be something more serious. All in all, the condition of playground equipment can become rusted and old as everything does, it is important to be mindful of the playground equipment.
Commonplace issues with playground equipment
One of the common issues that children and parents is playground equipment that is broken or missing pieces in such a way that it might be unnoticeable, an example of this is a lop-sided swing chain. This might be seen as nothing, but it can mean the difference between the child's safety and the child getting hurt.
If the child is having balancing issues with a swing or any playground equipment that does not work as good as it should then it is in the parents' best interest to act immediately; those critical seconds can save a child from a bad fall.
What to look out for on metallic surfaces
Slippery surface from ice or water is another danger to look out for especially if rain has touched the metal equipment on the playground, an example of this is if children are playing on certain playground equipment that are metallic such as the seesaw or the merry-go-round which can have mud or leftover rainwater on it that could make it unsafe.
Playground Area Advice
The weather can cause all playground equipment to be dangerous for use than they would otherwise be, parents are advised to pay close attention to their child and what they do on the playground as far as playing on the swings or the merry-go-round.
Safety rules to follow on the playground
Do not let their child attempt to play on equipment that they are not able to yet, this can be a slide for bigger kids or even certain types of playground equipment such as a full length net.Always have a first aid kit handy. This might seem as if it is a sign of helicopter parenting, but it is far from it. First aid kits come through in tough situations when the child get hurt in some way, this is one of the best preventive measures that parents can have when it comes to playground safety.Have soft material mats that the children can land on if they fall off from playing on the playground slides or even anything that children can climb up such as zip lines. The mats are the definition of playground safety, it can ease a parent's worries that their child might split their head open falling to the ground where a rock might be hidden beneath an opaque surface.Always analyze the playground equipment before use whether it is after a weather effect or after another child uses it, there could be blood from the previous child or even something dangerous like gum or an oil spill.Playground safety and rules might not seem as if they serve no other purpose than to ruin a child's fun, they are everything but that. Following playground safety rules is important in keeping children from hurting themselves, parents are encouraged to be mindful of their children's playground equipment; a weak chain or unbalanced seesaw are signs of danger that should not be dismissed.