Play areas need to be carefully planned and designed to have limited exposure to hazards such as traffic and environmental concerns. When designing a play area, it is important to include child development principles: one example is to include play equipment appropriate for the child’s age. The design must also incorporate safety guidelines, such as the installment of a fence or barrier to separate the play area from the traffic and work areas.
Play areas on the farm can include activities and equipment that use a combination of items on the farm and manufactured play equipment. Some suggestions are available in the Safe Play Basics resource.
The “walkthrough” that follows will encompass some general location and design guidelines, and also provide links to useful resources.
Disclaimer
The pictures on the following pages may depict some items and/or situations which are hazardous or unsafe. They are intended to assist in the identification of unsafe situations, and therefore may not represent “best practices”. If you have questions about any of the pictures or the situations depicted, please contact us at nccrahs@mcrf.mfldclin.edu.Walkthroughs
A "Walkthrough" refers to "walking through" or looking through a series of pictures, and deciding if they show hazards and/or safety items, or if safety items are lacking. After evaluating the pictures and giving an answer, a correction will appear with additional guidelines, recommendations and resources.