Keeping kids safe is a priority for parents. Yet, many unknowingly expose their little ones to harm on a regular basis. It happens each time children are allowed to play at public playgrounds, and this includes schoolyards. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), over 200,000 children are injured by playground dangers each year. Hazards largely stem from play systems that are improperly installed and rarely inspected. Concerned adults near Orange County, New York and Bucks County, Pennsylvania can’t cast safety nets at schools. But they can eliminate excessive exposure at Swingset & Toy Warehouse in Flemington, New Jersey and Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. By purchasing a backyard play set from the personal play experts, parents can ensure proper installations and inspections.

It usually takes an accident to make parents aware of playground dangers. And this does not suggest oversight on their parts. It’s natural to expect community and school provided play systems to be safe. One could also expect inspections and maintenance to be mandated. However, no federal laws regulate playground safety, and California is the only state that requires play systems to be checked regularly.

Pinch points, entrapments, and exposed concrete are some of the most common playground dangers. Pinch points are areas in play systems that are put in place during installation. These small gaps typically present in bridge sections allow room for little fingers to get stuck, stepped on, or crushed. Entrapments are also established during installation but can result from wear, tear, and time. They are simply openings in a play set that shouldn’t exist, and children’s heads get wedged more than all other body parts.

For those who think exposed concrete is probably the most harmful of these playground dangers, consider the case of 5-year-old Natalie McKenzie of Mobile, Alabama. While playing on a play set at her elementary school, Natalie’s foot got stuck between railings near the slide. She then dangled briefly before falling and gashing head on a small portion of exposed concrete. It took five staples to close the gash in Natalie’s head, and she was fortunate in that she made a full recovery.

Based on CDC reports, not all children are lucky like Natalie. Of the more than 200,000 who are injured on playgrounds each year, 45 percent incur severe fractures, internal injuries, concussions, dislocations, and amputations. And public playgrounds are where approximately 75 percent of all accidents resulting in non-fatal injuries happen.

Understanding these seemingly avoidable facts may make parents in Orange County, b, and everywhere else want to slip their kids into protective bubbles. But we all know that limiting their play is not the answer as frolicking freely outside is one of the best parts of being a kid. Lessening the risk is, however, a viable solution. And you can do it without busting your budget with the help of Swingset & Toy Warehouse.

With locations in Flemington and Upper Saddle River, Swingset & Toy Warehouse makes purchasing a backyard play set as convenient as it is affordable. Both stores carry vast selections of wooden and vinyl options with swings, slides, monkey bars, forts, and other accessories that combine to create a complete outdoor playspace. And parents who want to add more variety can get a home trampoline or a home basketball system and fill their backyards with so much excitement, the local park could be rendered obsolete!

Visit www.swingsetwarehouse.com to see the play systems that Swingset & Toy Warehouse provides, and feel free to call 800.794.6473 with questions. You can also visit the location closest to your home in Orange County, New York or Bucks County, Pennsylvania and let your child pick a backyard play set. Be sure to ask about playground surfacing which contributes to softer landings and comes in four colors. Delivery is free and your involvement in installation and maintenance can greatly reduce your kid’s exposure to playground dangers. So make this summer safer and start shopping at Swingset & Toy Warehouse today!

Swingset & Toy Warehouse
www.swingsetwarehouse.com
11 Route 31 South
Flemington, New Jersey
800.794.6473

118 Route 17 North
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey
800.794.6473