Active Play Equipment for Children

FAMILY · GLOBAL

Active Play Equipment for Children

Age and safety markings, trampolines and climbing frames, supervision and space

Active play equipment does more for children's development and sleep than almost anything else you can buy, and it carries injury risks that are well documented and largely preventable.

Age markings are safety classifications

An age marking reflects safety — principally small parts, weight limits and the physical capability assumed — rather than a judgement of ability. The under-three warning is a legal classification.

Check for a recognised safety mark and keep equipment sized for older children away from younger siblings.

Trampolines

One child at a time is the single most effective rule, since most injuries happen when a smaller child is bounced by a larger one. Netting and padded springs reduce falls off but not collisions.

Health bodies in several countries advise against trampoline use for children under six. No somersaults, and an adult present.

Climbing frames and swings

The surface underneath matters more than the frame. Grass is not an impact-absorbing surface — bark, rubber matting or engineered surfacing under and well beyond the equipment is what prevents fractures.

Check the fall zone the manufacturer specifies, and keep hard edges, walls and fences outside it.

Anchoring

Trampolines, frames and goalposts must be anchored. Wind moves them, and unsecured goalposts have caused fatal injuries.

What to check regularly

Fixings working loose, rusting joints, worn ropes, frayed netting and splintering timber. Check at the start of each season and after storms.

Indoor active play

Balance boards, soft play, indoor swings and a simple space to move do a great deal in a small home. Clear a defined area and remove hard furniture edges from it.

Check ceiling fixings carefully for anything suspended, since these must go into structural timber rather than plasterboard.

Sun and heat

Plastic equipment gets hot enough to burn in direct sun, and slides in particular. Check the surface before a child uses it, and position equipment in shade where possible.

Water play

Paddling pools and water tables need constant supervision, since a child can drown in a very small depth of water. Empty and store them immediately after use rather than leaving them filled.

Standing water also warms quickly and breeds bacteria, so change it every day it is used.

Storage

Deflate and store inflatable equipment dry, and bring anything fabric indoors, since ultraviolet light degrades netting and webbing surprisingly quickly.

Space and supervision

Measure the footprint including the fall zone rather than just the frame, and check overhead for branches and cables.

Helmets should be removed for playground climbing, since straps can catch — they are for bikes and scooters rather than frames.

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