As a parent if you grew up in the 70s, 80s or 90s you have witnessed the changes at the local parks in the designs of playground equipment that are installed today.Years ago, I can recall one playground at a local park that a huge 10 to 12 foot tall metal slide.The ladder to climb up appeared to be two stories tall.Imagine a young children climbing up this huge ladder to slide down on a hot metal slide.Obviously, this was a very dangerous piece of equipment for children to play on.Today, you should not find these types of unsafe equipment in the local parks but if you do never let your child use it.When visiting the park you should inspect the equipment your kids will be using.One thing to really look at is the ground cover underneath the play area.Look for debris, such as exposed pieces of cement when leg posts have been concreted into the ground.Visual inspection is a must for safe play.A touch of the hand on a slide will tell you quickly if it's too hot for a child to use safely.Most cities value there park areas and regularly perform maintenance the way they should.While most playgrounds appear to be safe, as a parent you need to be sure before allowing your child to use it.If you notice swings with damaged chains, loose hardware, wood that is cracked, rough or broken you should contact the city officials.Also, if you find graffiti, broken glass, etc this also warrants a call to the city.With new material's and components that are used today, such as plastic, resin and wood play structures, safe play is easier than years prior.Another main reason, is the fact that many of the equipment is now deigned for a specific age range and skill level.Supervision is a park is a must, stay with your children and watch them carefully.The frequency of maintenance and inspections completed by schools and parks is based on several variables and hopefully completed in the timely manner to ensure safe play for all children.
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