Five tips for safer playground fun

I always keep a close eye on my child at the playground.

With good reason.

Each year, more than 200,000 kids are treated in emergency rooms for playground-related injuries, according to Nemours. And many of these could have been prevented with the proper supervision.

What can you do to keep your children safe at the playground this summer? Here are five tips from kidshealth.org:

1. Be wary of the heat: During summer, playground equipment can become dangerously hot. Just last week, an Iowa toddler was rushed to the hospital with second-degree burns after going down a hot playground slide. Use good judgment — if the equipment feels hot to the touch, it's probably not safe to play on.

2. Choose safe playgrounds: Avoid broken equipment and hazardous debris.

3. Dress children appropriately. Kids should avoid wearing drawstrings, purses, or necklaces that could get caught while playing.

4. Stay close. Children can't always gauge distances properly and aren't capable of foreseeing dangerous situations by themselves.

5. Don't crowd. Too many kids on the equipment at one time can be dangerous.

Find more advice for moms at orlandosentinel.com/momsatwork Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.