Each year, more than 220,000 children under the age of 14 are treated in hospital emergency rooms across the United States for injuries occurring on playgrounds.

The most common playground-related injuries that require a doctor's care are:

• Broken bones (fractures)

• Sprains and strains

• Internal organ injuries

• Dislocations

• Concussions 

The most common playground-related cause of childhood emergency room visits is falling from the equipment to the ground. Children fall because they slip, lose their grip, or lose their balance while playing on monkey bars, swings, slides, merry-go-rounds, and see-saws.

FACT: Monkey bars or playground gyms (28.3%) and swings (28.1%) were the most frequently associated with TBI.

So what can you do to help your kiddo decrease the risk of a concussion and have fun on the playground?!

1. Constant supervision

2. Play with your kiddo on the playground vs sitting on the bench and watching

3. Explain why some equipment isn’t safe or how to use equipment safely.

Other helpful tips!

SWINGING

• Sit down while you swing

• Hold on to the swing chains with both hands

• Do not jump off of a moving swing

• Only one person should swing on the same swing at a time

• Wait until the swing stops moving before you get off.

SLIDES

• Go down the side one person at a time sitting down and FACING FORWARD

• Don’t start to go down until the person ahead of you is on the ground

• Never climb up the front of the slide, and don't climb over the guardrails