Heather Olsen

Developing a playground injury prevention plan

Playgrounds are a major source of unintentional injuries in the school environment. In fact, 80% of all injuries on public playground equipment happen at school. Thus, the need for developing a playground injury prevention plan is critical to provide safe educational outdoor environments for children. The S.A.F.E.™ framework for injury prevention is the first step in preventing playground injuries. This article highlights suggestions that school nurses can implement in creating an effective playground injury prevention program at their schools.

An Investigation of School Playground Safety Practices as Reported by School Nurses

The purpose of this study was to investigate school playground safety practices. The study used a purposeful sample of school nurses who attended a playground safety workshop at the 2006 National Association of School Nurses annual conference. Seventy-five questionnaires were distributed, and 64 useable questionnaires were returned. The responses indicated that little attention is being given to providing safe playground environments in schools as measured by best practices of supervision, age-appropriate design, fall surfacing, and equipment maintenance. Participants pointed to the need for better supervision and supervision training, careful selection of age-appropriate equipment, maintaining adequate fall surfaces under the equipment, and ensuring that equipment is properly maintained and repaired. The study also revealed that school nurses believe they could play a role in playground injury prevention through the collection and analysis of injury data, communication to administrators about the need for comprehensive planning of the play environment, and becoming active members of playground safety committees.

How SAFE are school and park playgrounds? A progress report.

Abstract A new national survey uncovers good news—safety has improved—and bad news—it still rates only a “C+.”

I am hoping you can point me in the right direction regarding playground accessibility: a case study of a community which lacked social policy toward playground accessibility.

Social policy is a step to improving living conditions, enhancing society or preventing social injustices. The playground is a safe place for children and families to develop relationships, experience happiness and enjoy community. While there have been a few case studies examining playground accessibility, a more comprehensive assessment and evaluation of playground accessibility across the leisure profession has not yet been completed. The purpose of this paper is to present a descriptive case study regarding playground accessibility through assessment of accessible design features of playgrounds in two neighbouring communities in the United States. The collective findings of this study raise several issues and ask the question: “Are community park and recreation leaders aware of the lack of inclusive and accessible playground spaces?” Findings from this study can be used to develop social policies that facilitate enable inclusive playgrounds.

Strategies for Playground Injury Prevention: An Overview of a Playground Project

Abstract Preventing injuries to children, especially debilitating and life threatening, requires an awareness of where these types of injuries occur during the school days. This review examines falls from playground equipment, events that have been identified as the leading causes of nonfatal unintentional injuries for children. Thus, the issue of playground safety is a topic of concern for health educators. School health educators play an essential role in developing safe and healthy outdoor play environments for children. This paper highlights the importance of injury prevention awareness and outlines different strategies that health educators can take for preventing playground injuries. In addition, this paper examines a project that was conducted in the state of Iowa in relation to what effects playground surfacing materials and staff training may have on injury prevention on school playgrounds. The results of the project concluded that with the addition of proper surfacing material and staff training, playground injuries could be reduced. Health educators need to investigate the types of playground injuries in current programs and develop a strategy to keep children healthy and active.

Sandboxes, loose parts, and playground equipment: a descriptive exploration of outdoor play environments

ABSTRACT The purpose of the study was to examine outdoor environments to understand whether or not young children had access to play materials and loose parts to enhance their playful experiences. This study sought to gather the availability of SAFE and quality play opportunities in early childhood outdoor environments. The study took place in one state of the United States. The study found 75% of outdoor spaces had a playground structure that including a place for children to climb and slide down. The study found 83% of programs had appropriate surfacing materials provided in the outdoor play environment. Loose parts, such as toys, balls, and action figures were also included in the outdoor play and learning environment. The significance of play that this study shows is outdoor environments have an abundant opportunities to support the developmental characteristics of children.