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Taking your child to the playground can provide a nice break for both of you.

It is a great way to keep your child active during the warm summer months. It also gives you time to let your child run free out of the house combating summer boredom.

The only real negative of taking your child to the playground is encountering parents who lack a sense of playground etiquette.

This can ruin the trip for both the parent and the child.

Make sure you are not one of these parents by following these simple playground etiquette tips:

Watch Your Child Closely

Many times when a parent enters the playground area, they breathe a sigh of relief that they can finally get a break. However, it is very important to keep an eye on your child.

You may need to get involved if your child gets into an argument with another child on the playground. If you are watching closely, you will be able to redirect your child and stop the incident. If you are not paying attention, you may miss these instances causing other parents to have to intercede.

It is also important to watch your child when using playground equipment. This equipment is designed with children in mind, however there is still room for accidents.

Take Turns 

The swing set is one of the most popular pieces of playground equipment. Therefore, a line of kids wanting to swing may form.

If children are waiting to swing and another child has been on it for an extended amount of time, it causes both the parent and the child frustration. If a line forms while your child is swinging, you should have them wrap it up. This keeps more children happy and creates a better environment for them to play in. It also teaches your child to be considerate of others.

Stick to the Playground Age Limit

There are many playgrounds that have smaller equipment that is better suited for preschoolers or toddlers to play on. This is to keep these smaller children safe while allowing them to have fun. Please make sure to adhere to these age limit rules.

By bringing your much older child to this playground, you are taking away the safety factor that the small playground is designed for.

These smaller children are much slower and can easily accidently get hurt by an older child who is only trying to play. By using age appropriate playground equipment, you can help to keep everyone safe and having a good time.

These simple tips will help keep your child’s time at the playground a safe and fun experience. It will also prevent many situations occurring that may have a negative impact on your child, thus ruining the outing.

It is very important to keep an eye on your child so that you can ensure they are following the rules. After all, the playground should be an exciting place for all children to play and have a great time. With these simple rules, parents can assure that this occurs.

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  • Yes always make sure you watch your little one/s.

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  • I think there is a difference between keeping an eye on your child or watching them closely. I think it is good to keep an eye on kids, but I do think parents can hover and not let their kids experiment or play how they want to do so. I do think sharing is good practice but the problem becomes how long on a swing is long enough? What if your child waited then just got on the swing then a line formed? Shouldn’t your child get a few minutes on the swing too? I guess I let my child spend up to 5 mins on the swing once they hop on, then let others have a go. I don’t think your child should have to rush off equipment just because other people are waiting. They should get a decent turn too.

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  • I agree with this article but the last one if there is no other children in the smaller playground i think its fine for an older child to go in as long as they’re taken out if a younger child arrives.

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  • Some good tips :)

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  • thanks for posting this article! i agree that many children don’t get supervised at the playground. i have seen mothers let their children roam and they are having big convos. our playground is dangerous. a carpark and main road on one side and a beach on the other and less than 30 seconds of a child running either way would’nt be good.

    it is also awkward when you have a stranger’s child come up to you and ask you questions because they don’t see their mother ANYWHERE.

    SUPERVISION!


    • also thanks for pointing this out for people

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  • Yes it can be a place of frustration also. I have been at parties and playgrounds where other parents let me look after their kids while they sit back and relax. They should be looking after their own children and not relying on someone else to keep an eye on their child. There is a lot of great pointers in this article.

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  • I have seen a few instances of teenagers swinging on small childrens’ swings which puts strain on the equipment. Often they aren’t content to sit on the seats, they often stand on them.

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  • Great advice. Keeping a close eye on them is so important and you see so many who don’t watch them!

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  • If only all parents followed these common sense guidelines. I’m amazed at the parents who look the other way when their kids are doing inappropriate things in the playground!

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  • Some great advice here, thankyou

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  • I don’t know about a break but it gives my 2 year old to use up her energy and great for her to catch up with her little friends.I look at it has a great time to enjoy your coffee

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  • Good article and good advice there! Thank You.

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  • I love taking the girl’s to the park they play for hours

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  • We have been at the park when older kids have been there we had to stop playing because they didn’t want to move so the little kids could play and the language was despicable and to top it all off they started smoking and that’s fine but not around a lot of little ones apart from a couple of those little troubles our trips are normally great I never take my eyes off him not for a second I trust no one even when he says he need to go to the toilet it is the female ones and I go with him

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  • Thats true, a little distraction can cost alot. I remember we took our little boy to church, he said he wanted to ease himself, there was a guard by the door, he went the first time and came back, but when he went the second time, he never did. We were confident he was going to come, but we had to look for him for almost 30 minutes, before we found him. Thanks for these tips.

    Reply

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