Remember tag? Red Rover? No more

By Suzanne Perez Tobias
The Wichita Eagle - Wichita, KS
April 2005

Remember tag? Red Rover? Hanging upside down on the monkey bars? Climbing up the slide? Jumping off the swings? Those traditional playground antics have gone the way of chalkboard slates at most schools. Concerns about injuries, fights and other problems have led schools to adopt stringent rules that outlaw many of the recess activities parents remember from childhood.

"Our No. 1 concern is safety," said Janet Jump, principal at Kelly Elementary School in Wichita. "We want children to be able to play and have fun, but we don't want anyone to get hurt."

During an average school recess, more than 100 children could be climbing, sliding, swinging and running on the playground. And when it comes to most playground equipment, "safety in numbers" doesn't apply.

"The more kids you have on a playground at once, the more potential there is for conflicts and injuries," said Karla Stenzel, one of the Wichita school district's two physical education coordinators.

At College Hill Elementary, where Stenzel teaches, children learn playground rules at the start of the year and review them regularly. The rules include no sitting atop or hanging upside down on the monkey bars, no head-first sliding and no tag.

No tag?

"What can start out as a nice, friendly game of tag gets tricky when a kid gets grabbed or gets hurt," Stenzel said. "Sometimes it's better to just say, 'Don't do it.' "

That's not to say children sit around during recess. Most elementary schools provide a variety of games -- basketball, four-square, jump ropes, etc. --to supplement playground equipment. Spreading kids out and keeping them busy is the best way to avoid problems, Stenzel said.

"There's value in kids being able to organize themselves and police themselves," she said. "But you need to have the proper equipment and supervision, and they need to be aware that rules are there to keep everyone safe."

Beginning next year, a federal grant will allow Wichita elementary schools to adopt Peaceful Playgrounds, a program aimed at reducing playground problems.

The concept takes a resource most playgrounds already have -- open space -- and transforms blacktops and fields into play areas with activities such as tetherball, wall ball, beanbag toss and Frisbee golf.

With more choices, children spread out into smaller groups, wait in line less and play more, resulting in fewer trips to the principal's office or the school nurse.

The program also teaches children to resolve most conflicts without adult intervention, using the "walk, talk or rock" method -- walk away from a dispute, talk it out, or settle it by playing "rock, paper, scissors."

Stenzel hopes most schools will have game lines and stencils painted this summer and be ready to implement Peaceful Playgrounds in the fall.

That's just in time to re-teach the playground rules most children forget over the summer, when backyard play or the neighborhood park is more of a high-flying free-for-all.

"There are a lot of things we tell kids they can't do on our playgrounds, knowing full well they probably do it after hours, when we're not looking," Stenzel said.

Playground Etiquette

Safe equipment and adult supervision are important on playgrounds, but that's not all. Keep your children as safe as possible by teaching them to act responsibly. Some general rules:

• Never push or roughhouse on equipment.
• If you like to jump off climbing toys, check that there are no other children in your way. Land on both feet with your knees slightly bent.
• Leave bikes, backpacks and other items in a designated spot. Items left randomly around the playground can cause children to trip and fall.
• Never use equipment that is wet, because moisture causes the surface to be slippery.
• Don't wear clothes with drawstrings at the playground. They can get caught on equipment and pose a strangulation hazard.
• Wear sunscreen.

Swings

• Always sit in the swing; don't stand or kneel. Hold on tightly with both hands. Stop the swing completely before getting off.
• Stay a safe distance from other children on swings, being careful not to run or walk in front or in back of moving swings.
• Never double up with two kids to a swing.
• Don't push other children on swings. The child pushing the swing may not be able to gauge properly how much force is necessary, and the child being pushed won't have any control if he wants to stop.

Teeter-totters

• Because teeter-totters require cooperation between children, they are generally not recommended for preschoolers.
• Teeter-totters are like swings: one child per seat. If you are too light to teeter-totter with a partner, find a different partner; don't add another child to your side of the teeter-totter.
• Always sit facing one another, not turned around. Hold on tightly with both hands; don't touch the ground or push off with your hands; and keep feet to the sides, not underneath the teeter-totter.
• Stand back from a teeter-totter when it's in use. Never stand beneath it or try to climb onto it while it's in motion.

Slides

• Take one step at a time and hold onto the handrail when climbing the ladder to the top of the slide. Never climb up the slide itself to get to the top.
• Slide down feet first and sitting up, never head first on your back or stomach.
• Don't slide down in groups. Only one child should be on the slide platform at a time.
• Always check that the bottom of the slide is clear before sliding down.
• On hot days, feel the slide with your hand before climbing up to the top. If the slide feels too warm, don't play on it.

Climbing equipment

Climbing equipment comes in many shapes and sizes, including arches, domes and horizontal ladders, and is generally more challenging for kids than other kinds of playground equipment.

• Use both hands and stay well behind the person in front of you, and beware of swinging feet. When you drop from the bars, bend your knees and land on both feet.
• Crowded equipment can be dangerous. Everyone should start on the same side of the equipment and move across it in the same direction.
• When climbing down, watch for those climbing up; never race across or try to reach for bars that are too far ahead.
• Children younger than 5 may not have the upper body strength necessary for climbing. Adult supervision is especially important for younger kids.

Source: National Program for Playground Safety.

The Wichita Eagle Remember tag? Red Rover? No more