Wyatt Underwood on "The Safe Child Campaign"

Sensible clothing is an essential part of playground safety. Bare feet are always a no-no, as is extensive sun exposure. Toward limiting sun exposure, the National Program for Playground Safety advises parents and child care providers to avoid scheduling outdoor activities during hours of peak sun intensity, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. standard time. “If outdoor activities during these peak times are unavoidable, encourage the use of protective clothing and sunglasses, suggest playing in shaded areas, and, of course, always use sunscreen,” the organization states on its website. The NPPS also supplies a “Quick Tips” list: • Monitor the daily UV Index forecasts for your area (go to www.epa.gov or look in newspapers) and plan indoor activities on days of high sun intensity. • Teach children how to identify and find good sources of shade. • Keep infants and small children in the shade when outdoors. • Plan trips to parks and places where adequate shade is available. • Plant trees tha...

It’s clear that adult supervision is the best way to prevent mishaps on playgrounds, whether they be school yards, back yards, parks or wherever groups of children gather to play. But an important aspect of this, narrowing down a viable ratio of adult supervisors to children, remains elusive. The answer, of course, varies depending on the dimensions and specific characteristics of a playground, the age range and number of children present, as well as legal and administrative factors. So the key question remains, how many adult supervisors should be present? And while there’s far from a consensus or clearly defined mandate, playground supervision is definitely an active, ongoing topic of discussion in the realms of tort lawyers, government agencies, educators and the broader playground safety community. Columbia, South Carolina law firm Duff, White & Turner provides a detailed recommendation: “In the area of supervision, school districts should establish an appropriate adult to st...