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Home- Swing sets
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Playing
it Safe on Swing Sets for your Children 2
Put the swing set in an area that contains shade so that the surfaces of
it are not too hot to the touch. Also put up some type of barrier or
border around the swing set to remind children not to run in front of
the swings.
Choose a swing set that will be useful and interesting to your children.
Some innovative swing sets even have a little play house on top of a
platform. Then the children can pretend it's a little fort, or castle.
This type of addition enhances enjoyment of the swing set.
Remember that safety is your ultimate concern; therefore, you need to be
careful if you install a playhouse that would be high off the ground.
There are railings, of course, but the item that causes the most
injuries is the ladder that the kids use to climb up to and down from
the playhouse. The round rungs that some ladders contain are quite easy
for a little child to slip through. If you are going to have a
playhouse, consider flat rungs instead of round, as slipping accidents
are less likely to occur.
Some people opt for a wooden swing set. You need to be careful with this
material because if it is pressure treated, it can leach chemicals. Some
small children like to put their mouth on things, so if this is the case
with any of your children, caution them and watch them carefully so they
do not "lick" the swing set. Pressure-treated wood is currently being
studied for adverse results in children's playground equipment.
One benefit of wood, however, is that it does not get as hot in the
summer as metal does. However, if it is not specially treated, it may
not last as long. There is a new product that is specifically used to
treat wood called ACQ. It uses copper rather than arsenic.
You also need to make sure that the screws and bolts used to hold your
equipment together are composed of a material that will not corrode the
metal. One fairly common cause of accidents is when a child's clothes
becomes caught on a protruding bolt or between moving parts. Therefore,
you need to scrutinize the swing set careful to make sure there are no
protruding items that can be dangerous.
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