Playground Etiquette: Going Up the Slide

Behaving politely on the slide helps children have fun at the playground.

A slide is one of the top draws at a playground for children younger than 6 years old, according to Iowa State University's "Handbook for Public Playground Safety." Many older children enjoy playing on slides as well. However, if children fail to follow the rules for proper behavior on slides, the result may be conflict, hurt feelings or even injury. More than 200,000 children in the United States end up in the emergency room every year due to accidents on playground equipment. By encouraging your child to follow proper etiquette for going up the slide, you can help him -- and other children playing on the slide -- have a fun time while staying safe.

Instructions

1. Go up the slide by climbing the stairs. If your child tries to get to the top of the slide by walking up the slide, another child who has gone up the slide by climbing the stairs won't be able to slide down. Your child might also get hurt if she falls or gets hit by a child who slides down and doesn't see her.

2. Watch for other children on the slide before sliding down. Tell your child to make sure that the child who slid down before him has climbed off before he slides down. This will help prevent someone from getting hurt in a collision.

3. Take turns. Since several children may want to slide at the same time, don't allow your child to push in front of another child who is waiting for a turn on the slide.

4. Treat other children politely. When your child is waiting for her turn to slide, make sure she doesn't hit, shove or argue with other children who are also going up the slide.

5. Choose age-appropriate slides. Don't allow your preschooler to climb on a slide higher than 5 feet tall, since he may not have the upper-body strength to climb that high, according to the KidsHealth website. Don't let your school-age child play on a slide intended for toddlers, since the presence of bigger kids may overwhelm small children, making it harder for them to get a turn on the slide.

Tips & Warnings

• Remind your child to walk up the slide one step at a time and hold onto the handrail to help keep her safe.

• Don't let your child your child roll rocks, dirt or toys down the slide after he has climbed to the top. Doing so could hurt a child at the bottom of the slide.

References

• Iowa State University: Handbook for Public Playground Safety
• Beaumont: Transforming the Playground Into a 'Safeground'
• KidsHealth: Playground Safety
• Parents: A Guide to Playground Etiquette
• Western New Mexico University: WNMU Early Childhood Programs