Safe Play
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Keys to Creating Safe Play Areas
- Location for Play
- Child Protective Barrier
- Play Equipment
- Ground Surfacing
1. Select Location for Play
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Look for a location that is:
- removed from the majority of farm activity (traffic, animal movement, etc.)
- preferably adjacent to the house or in close proximity
- sheltered from wind
- free of pests (ants, snakes, rodents, etc.)
- free of hazardous plants
2. Surround play area with a sturdy Child Protective Barrier
- Barriers are the most important feature of a safe play area and are usually the most expensive.
- The ideal barrier is a fence with a self-latching gate.
- Fencing should be:
- sturdy, easy to maintain and a minimum height of 4 feet
- free of pinch points or sharp edges and have proper width between vertical boards (see diagram)
- lack footholds
- free from picket tops, barbed or multiple strand high-tensile wire
3. Choose Play Equipment
- Quality play equipment does not have to be expensive.
- Example: balls, sandbox, non-sharp kitchen utensils, tree swings
- Remember: children are imaginative, play equipment can be basic and still a lot of fun.
- Be sure to include a 6ft debris and structure-free radius around all stationary structures (slides, swing sets, etc.).
- Use equipment that is approriate for the ages of your children and easy to maintain.
4. Use Ground Surfacing under play equipment with elevated surfaces
- If you choose to include elevated play equipment (slides, monkey bars, swings, etc.), be sure to consider groundcover under structures.
- Protective groundcover should be:
- soft and thick enough to absorb the shock of falls
- continually maintained by raking or grading
- NEVER installed over hard surfaces (concrete)
- Loose fill surface material is recommended.
For more information on important features of safe play including environmental health factors that should be considered, or for specific play ideas, download the Creating Safe Play Areas on Farms
or for a free copy of the booklet, please call the National Children's Center (800) 662-6900 or email a request for a print copy at: nccrahs@mcrf.mfldclin.edu.
For more information on how to set up a demonstration play area model at an event, download the Interactive Demonstrations of Safe Play Areas at Rural and Agricultural Events
or for a free copy of the booklet, please call the National Children's Center (800) 662-6900 or email a request for a print copy at: nccrahs@mcrf.mfldclin.edu.
