Growing up in NYC in the 50’s, playgrounds were the place to be. Unfortunately, those were the days when concrete lined the surfaces in the playgrounds and monkey bars and slides were all made of materials that were slippery in the damp weather and burning hot in the warm months. I’m sure there would have been a lot less trips to emergency rooms, less stitches, bruises and broken bones if the playground safety standards described below were in place then.

National Playground Safety Week 2011 is April 25-29, 2011.

The National Program for Playground Safety suggests that you take this week to review the safety features and standards of the playgrounds your child(ren) use.

Here is a quick playground safety check list the National Program for Playground Safety recommends to keep your children safe:

• Make sure that there is adult supervision in a playground.  Adult presence is needed to watch for potential hazards, observe, intercede and facilitate play when necessary.
• There should be no strings on clothing or ropes used for play that can cause accidental strangulation if caught on equipment.

• Children need to play on age-appropriate equipment. Preschoolers, ages 2 – 5, and children ages 5 – 12, are developmentally different and need different equipment located in separate areas to insure  playground safety and fun for all.

• Cushioning is critical for playground surfaces . Nearly 70 percent of all playground injuries are related to falls to the surface. Acceptable surfaces include hardwood fiber/mulch, pea gravel, sand and synthetic materials such as poured-in-place, rubber mats or tiles. Playground safety is dependent on surfaces not be concrete, asphalt, grass, blacktop, packed dirt or rocks.

• Equipment needs to be checked regularly to make sure it is safe for use. Always check to make sure the equipment is anchored safely in the ground, all equipment pieces are in good working order, S-hooks are entirely closed, bolts are not protruding and there are no exposed footings, etc.

Playground Safety checklists are available from the CPSC or go to www.uni.edu/playground

Nicola Fourie created a business around the activities she shared and continues to share with her daughter. These days she shares her  ideas on her web sites. The sites feature games and crafts for the younger set.

In a recent newsletter, Nicola shared, “It seems that playing games is a lost art. So I decided to start searching for all the recreational games that I could find.  Game playing is important to a child. Children learn through play and active exploration. Many toys and games encourage learning and develop skills in planning and sequencing, eye-hand coordination, visual perception and fine motor control. Group games help in moral and social development. Studies have shown that 80% of what kids learn is by doing, and learning is increased by an average of 50% when it’s fun and playful.”

Here are two of Nicola’s suggestions for having fun with activities using things that can be found around the house

Printing

Use anything around the house such as oranges, potato, pegs, rollers, bits of sponges etc and dab them in paint. Press these objects then onto paper and see the different prints they make. Little ones really enjoy this activity as it combines sensory and creative skills. Create masterpieces of art with things around the house and a little paint.

What’s in the box?

For a couple of weeks, save all your empty grocery cartons like cereal boxes, egg cartons and plastic bottles with tops. Clean them up, glue down the flaps of the cardboard cartons, and you have all the stock you need for a grocery store. You can use old coins or plastic money for added authenticity, and older children can make their own banknotes. This is great for teaching simple math.

Nicola is featured in our Parent Exchange on the Navigation Bar of this blog.

You can visit her sites at:

www.365KidsGames.com

www.new-kids-crafts.com

Our guest post is from Nicola Fourie, parent of a young child. Nicola wants to get the word out on the need for putting parental control software on home computers to protect our children from Internet predators.

Nicola shares,”I attended a very interesting talk at my daughter’s school about children and the dangers of internet usage. Let me just say I was shocked at the stats and the growing numbers of missing kids due to coming into contact with the wrong people online.

Here is what I learned :

* 20% of U.S. teenagers who regularly log on to the Internet say they’ve received an unwanted sexual solicitation via the Web. Crimes Against Children Research Center

* There are computer bulletin boards set up specifically for the seduction of children. They lure kids in with games and establish relationships with them on-line. Then they arrange to meet face-to-face.

* Chat rooms and instant/private messages are two main tools pedophiles use to contact children on-line.

* An estimated 62% of teens report that their parents know little or nothing about their Web activities. LAPD Protect Our Kid

* When your child enters a chat room, they have a 100% chance of coming in contact with a sexual predator. The average contact takes 60 seconds. Often it is a predator.  cleartraffic.com

* Only 25% of the youth who encountered a sexual approach or solicitation told a parent.  Youth Internet Safety Survey

* 1% of parents stop monitoring their child’s Internet use when their child turns 14. Unfortunately, 72% of all Internet-related missing children are 15 or older. Crimes Against Children Research Center

* 60% of all websites on the Internet are pornographic websites (about 1.2 billion).

* As many as 1 in 4 children who use the Internet regularly, will be exposed to unwanted sexual material, including photos of nude people.  cleartraffic.com

* 77% of the targets for online predators were age 14 or older. Another 22% were users ages 10 to 13. Crimes Against Children Research Center

At the talk they recommended that we find a good parental control software and install it on our computers.”

Thanks Nicola!

“Can Do” Street Parent/Teacher Blog is pleased to feature a post by Lynn Harrison McLachlan about Kid-Safe Productions  and its founder Tricia Myles

These days, every school and parent council faces the same dilemma: How do you stretch limited dollars to support the necessary curriculum, promote children’s well-being, and provide all-important exposure to the arts entertainment world? While every school comes up with its own solutions, many elementary schools in Toronto, Canada are discovering Kid-Safe Productions: a North American edu-tainment company that offers a smart choice for their budgets.

Kid-Safe Productions was founded in 2000 by Tricia Myles, an experienced entertainer with an extensive background in both musical theatre and children’s well-being. After working for many years in children’s social services, she returned to performance after her son was born, deciding to use her unique artistic skills to further promote children’s well-being. Her first play, called “Bugs, Bubbles and Blobs,” helped kids stay safe by defining personal boundaries. Then, after talking to teachers, she knew what her next project should be.

“Again and again, schools asked us for an educational show that would focus on Bullying Awareness and Prevention,” Myles remembers. “And as a parent, of course I was very concerned about this issue.”

Continuing to reach out to children through the medium of musical plays, Kid-Safe Productions’ responded to these requests with its up-beat and brightly colorful show about a bullied frog entitled “Stop, That’s Bullying!”

Kid-Safe Productions relies on a supportive team of consultants including social workers, teachers and principals, therapists and  psychologists. The experts agree that, when it comes to bringing an important message home to children, live music and drama have been proven to have more impact than videos or other recorded media. Kid-Safe Productions also provides a resource guide for teachers with each play, and a coloring book for every student.

Kid-Safe Productions even consulted with internationally-recognized parenting expert Barbara Coloroso, who strongly supported the “Stop, That’s Bullying!” message and the way it’s presented.

“The arts allow you to step outside yourself and take on a different role,” said Coloroso. “Fiction can work so well by teaching a lesson with- out being preachy and the kids walk away and remember it too.”

Today, “Stop, That’s Bullying!” has been presented at hundreds of schools across Ontario, with more performances to come. Children, educators, and parents have enthusiastically endorsed the “Stop, That’s Bullying” message, which encourages children to act as advocates for their peers instead of choosing to be passive bystanders.

“Our kids talked about it for weeks afterwards and they got the message!” says Richard Laliberte, a school principal in the Ottawa region. “This play is an absolute must for any school wanting to deal with bullying head-on!”

Kid-Safe has since added new programs to its repertoire such as dramatic workshops for individual classes and a new play that promotes healthy character building initiatives. “How Amazing We Can Be” is energetic and fun, and immediately popular with children and teachers alike. Grade four teacher S. Shiffito writes, “I most enjoyed seeing the important messages of helping, kindness, forgiveness, learning, and more.”

“Even though we deal with serious subjects, we believe that entertainment value is number one,” says Myles. “We put on shows that kids really enjoy at a price schools can afford.”

Competitively priced, Kid- Safe Productions’ shows represent excellent value with individual costs from as low as $2.50 per child – that’s lower than the price of a movie and with no transportation costs. Yup! Kid-Safe Productions is curriculum-based edu-tainment delivered directly to your school’s door. They also offer fundraising solutions to assist schools or parent councils with meeting their goals. At this time, most Kid-Safe performances take place in the Toronto, Canada area, however, bookings are being arranged all over North America.

“We feel that Kid-Safe Productions is making a real and meaningful difference in the lives of young people,” says Joyann Callender of Kids Help Phone, Ontario Division. It’s a message echoed through the gymnasiums of more and more North American schools.

For more information, please visit the Kid-Safe Productions Web site at www.kidsafeproductions.com.

“Can Do” Street Programs use community helpers to reinforce the lessons of parents and grandparents on how to be safe, look good and feel good, eat well and develop the skills to  do well in school and social settings.

Coach Campbell,  as an instructor and coach at the “Can Do” Community Center, stresses the importance of daily exercise both indoors and outdoors. He engages the children using the programs on “Can Do” Street in decision-making around good sportsmanship, playing fair and being a team player.

Nurse Diane speaks to the “Can Do” Kids about food as the fuel to keep their bodies running well.

She also shares  how they can protect themselves from germs stressing the need for good personal hygiene.

Policewoman Paula is there when Nellie gets lost and can’t find her grandma. She stressed the need for children to carry identification, to know where they live and how to contact a parent or grandparent. Policewoman Paula reviews who are the safe people to go to when a child is lost or in trouble. when Yundi falls off his bike and gets hurt, she is there to see that he gets medical attention and to contact his family.

Teacher Pat teaches more them academics in “Can Do” Street School. She teaches appropriate school behavior. How to address an adult, sharing supplies, respecting the rights of others, taking turns,  being kind to classmates, safety practices, playground and bathroom behaviors are all part of her daily lesson plans.