The most common playground injuries are falls, often from climbing equipment, swings and trampolines. You can make your child’s outdoor play safer by following the safety tips below.

Safety tips

• Supervise your child around play equipment
• Choose play equipment that suits your child’s age. Equipment that is over 1.5 metres high is not suitable for children under 5 years of age
• Make sure all outdoor play equipment is stable and well-anchored
• Have soft material under your play equipment if it is more than 60cm off the ground
• Soft material under swings should be 2.5 metres past the longest point that the swing reaches at the front and back
• The surface under play equipment should either be loose-fill material (such as bark, mulch, wood chips or sand) that is 30cm deep or impact absorbing material (such as fake grass or rubber)
  • Hard surfaces such as concrete, grass, dirt or gravel under play equipment should not be used
  • Only certain types of sand are good for absorbing impact – check that you choose sand for playgrounds (not play sand)
  • Rubber is good for absorbing impact but it can get hot. Safety also depends on its age and how it was installed.