Safe Playgrounds for Children
Friends of the Parks is committed to Chicago’s playgrounds. Our partnership
with Injury Free Coalition
for Kids out of Children’s Memorial Hospital, has created a higher visibility
for the issues facing our playgrounds and has also educated parents and park advocates.
With this partnership we have documented the conditions of playgrounds throughout
the city of Chicago – and have advocated for change to create safer play environments.
Are you concerned about the safety of a playground in your neighborhood?
Here are some things to look for:
Public Playground Safety Checklist
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Make sure surfaces around playground equipment have at least 12 inches of wood chips,
mulch, sand, or pea gravel, or are mats made of safety-tested rubber or rubber-like
materials.
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Check that protective surfacing extends at least 6 feet in all directions from play
equipment. For swings, be sure surfacing extends, in back and front, twice the height
of the suspending bar.
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Make sure play structures more than 30 inches high are spaced at least 9 feet apart.
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Check for dangerous hardware, like open "S" hooks or protruding bolt ends.
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Make sure spaces that could trap children, such as openings in guardrails or between
ladder rungs, measure less than 3.5 inches or more than 9 inches.
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Check for sharp points or edges in equipment.
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Look out for tripping hazards, like exposed concrete footings, tree stumps, and rocks.
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Make sure elevated surfaces, like platforms and ramps, have guardrails to prevent
falls.
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Check playgrounds regularly to see that equipment and surfacing are in good condition.
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Carefully supervise children on playgrounds to make sure they're safe.
Consumer Product Safety Commission Document #327
The most common hazard found in Chicago’s playgrounds is # 1 on the safety checklist,
playgrounds which lack the minimum of 12 inches of soft-surface material needed to
help cushion falls.
Check your playground for these issues and contact Friends of the Parks, or your
park supervisor to address your concerns. If you don’t know how to contact your
park supervisor, call us at 312-857-2757.
PAST WORKSHOPS
Cutting Costs With a Community Build, November 19, 2003 Cost
Breakdown 
Playground Safety Workshop, March 22, 2003
