Facilities

Resources for Safe Playgrounds

Playgrounds are a fundamental part of the childhood experience and should be safe havens for children. The resources on this page will give designers, directors, and members of an agency's facility planning team technical safety guidelines for designing, constructing and maintaining playgrounds.

Public Playground Safety Handbook [PDF, 1.3MB]

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) created a Handbook for Public Playground Safety as a detailed working blueprint to help local communities, schools, day-care centers, corporations, and other groups build safe playgrounds. This handbook includes technical safety guidelines for designing, constructing, operating, and maintaining public playgrounds. There is also a Public Playground Safety Checklist that highlights some of the most important safety issues for parents and community groups

ASTM F355 - 10a Standard Test Method for Impact Attenuation of Playing Surface Systems and Materials

ASTM International is one of the largest voluntary standards development organizations in the world and is a trusted source for technical standards for materials, products, systems, and services. Designers, program directors, and members of an agency’s facilities planning team can use this method, adopted in 2010, to test the properties of playing surface systems and materials.

Playgrounds! Promote Safe and Fun Outdoor Play in Head Start and Child Care

Playgrounds offer a great chance to support children's physical and social development outdoors. However, they are also the most common location for injuries in early childhood education programs. Head Start and child care health consultants play a key role in helping Head Start and child care programs promote active play and minimize injuries. Watch this webinar to learn about ways to create safer playgrounds.

Playground Safety Poster

Playgrounds are a great outdoor support for children's physical and social development. However, they are also the most common location for injuries in early childhood education programs. Use this poster to find tips on how to keep children safe on the playground.

Additional Resources