Back To School – Leave the Draw-String Jackets at Home

A new school year has started. My boys will be attending full-time preschool this year. They went to an 8-week summer school program and loved it, so we are all very excited! I found another article on draw-string jackets/shirts and their relation to playground accidents. The last article I posted caught my attention and I wanted to share it with my readers. Just to reinterate….please leave the draw-strings at home while on playgrounds or just be very ‘present’ while watching your little ones.
Have a great school year!

Playground Safety Paramount (Peabody Gazette-Bulletin, Kansas)
August 26
Playground accidents are one of the leading causes of injury to children in elementary schools. Each year, in the United States, more than 200,000 children receive emergency department care for injuries that occurred on playground equipment.
The leading cause of deaths related to playgrounds and playground equipment is strangulation. Approximately 15 children per year die from playground-related injuries such as strangulation when a piece of loose clothing or jewelry gets caught on equipment or the child’s head gets stuck between climbing bars.
Falls are the leading cause of playground-related injuries. According to Cherie Sage, state director for Safe Kids Kansas, a child who falls 10 feet is at risk of spinal cord injury, paralysis, or death. Protective surface materials can be the difference between life and death.
“The ground should be covered 12 inches deep with shredded rubber, hardwood fiber mulch, or fine sand, extending at least six feet in all directions around the equipment,” Sage said.
Even with proper surfacing, teachers and playground monitors need to keep kids in sight and in reach on the playground.
“Simply being in the same place as the children is not necessarily supervising,” Sage said.
For outdoor play, children’s clothing and outerwear should be free of drawstrings and should fit snugly to minimize the risk of getting stuck in a piece of equipment.
For more information about playground safety, call 785-296-1223 or visit www.usa.safekids.org.
http://www.peabodykansas.com/direct/playground_safety_paramount+48playground+506c617967726f756e642073616665747920706172616d6f756e74

Dyanne Houlihan
My Lil’ Monkeys
www.cartstopper.com
Don’t Roll Without One!