Playground Safety

Education Technology Group

Playground Safety

The safety of our children on playgrounds has increasing become a concern in schools across the Untied States. The American Academy of Orthopadedic Surgeons reported the following finding in a recent survey. ( For a copy, call 1-800-824-2663)

More than 221,000 children were admitted to emergency rooms with playground related injuries in 1996

This was an increases of 28% compared to 1994

Falls to surfaces resulted in the most injuries (58%)

Of the 221,000 injuries, 75,000 were related to swings, 73,000 monkey bars, and 43,000 slides.

One factor attributed to reducing playground injuries is the design of the playground. Suggested designs include a well-planned playground that offers activities to encourage the development of perception and physical skills. Recreational learning is quickly becoming an important tool not only as an educational strategy but as means to promote playground safety.

In the June 15th, 2000 edition of U.S. Today, Christine Chichello tells of her son Sam who fell from a set of elevated rings, hitting the ground face first. "He said, 'Mom, I hit my face really hard' He was dizzy, and within five minutes, he was unconscious". Sam died that evening at a local Boston hospital, one of 17 children who die annually from injuries sustained on playgrounds, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The U.S. Public Interest Research Group and the Consumer Federation of America reported in a report, titled Playing It Safe, that of 1,024 public schools surveyed between March and May, 2000, more than 170,000 children required hospital care because of playground accidents.

All ETG products are designed as "flat" learning activities. We have created recreational games that do not require children to climb, jump, swing, or slide. Additionally, our specially formulated paint, that is not only non-toxic and non-glare, has a special anti-skid component to reduce falls and accidents. Click here for a complete description of our products.

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Education Technology Group - P.O. Box 81 Mandeville, LA 70470 Tel: (985)-789-1029 or (504)-722-3739 mail@et-group.com fax: (985)-845-1392