Any school or park would not be complete without a playground. Children like swinging, sliding, and climbing as they use their imaginations to come up with new games to play. Protecting playground equipment during the winter is crucial to maintain it in good condition because it is exposed to all types of weather. 45% of playground injuries, including fractures, internal injuries, concussions, dislocations, and amputations, are reportedly severe.
According to Welsh observational research, hazardous playground equipment was to blame for 90% of playground-related injuries necessitating emergency room visits. These alarming numbers require an effective form of winter playground safety measures, so kids and gear can stay safe all year long.
Winter, including snow, ice, and chilly temperatures, may batter playground equipment and hasten its wear, as people who reside in colder areas are aware. We’ve included a few excellent tips for maintaining your playground equipment so kids may use it for many years.
Guidelines for Winter Playground Upkeep
Here are some of the best tips you can follow to maintain your winter playground. Following these tips regularly and on time can ensure the ground’s well-being until the harsh climate has faded.
- Prevention is better than cure: At least 2 times a year, before the first snowfall and again in the spring, inspect your playground. Check the area for any loose hardware. Cleanse and empty the lines if you own any water play equipment. Some playgrounds contain loose toys and childcare facilities, particularly for infants and toddlers. Ensure they are ready to be used again in the spring, collect them all, and preserve them for the winter.
- Observe and be aware: Preceding a stormy period. Due to heavy traffic, leaves, and garbage, some of our clients regrade loose fill and perform the basic cleanup. If your surfacing is poured in situ, fill in any gaps or holes to prevent them from worsening due to the snow and ice.
- Protect any surfacing that has been poured in place: For the duration of the winter. Never apply anything corrosive to your playground surface, such as salt or sand. Use a plastic shovel rather than a metal one when it snows. And unless you have a snow blower model that allows you to modify the height, resist the urge to use one. They seriously damaged playground surfacing, which required astronomical repair costs.
- Effective use of canopies: Ensure that you have removed and stored your shade canopies. They are designed to withstand huge gusts of wind but would not be able to withstand heavy loads of snow. Hence to prevent an extra expense and save on a beautiful canopy, do not forget to remove the shade canopies and keep them in a cool, dry place where no weight would be put over them.
Final Thoughts
Playground solutions are available from All Play, Inc. to support kids’ exploration, learning, and development all year. With excitement and wonder in mind, we create cutting-edge playground equipment for children of all ages, inspiring them to interact with the outside world via play. Please choose one of our pre-designed play structures for your school or park, or work with our design team to develop a custom playground. Get in touch with us right away for playground solutions!
