Make your backyard a safe place to play. A downloadable brochure, by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission can help. They offer a free checklist to insure that your home playground is safe for your kids.

Home Playground Safety Checklist

Each year, more than 200,000 children go to U.S. hospital emergency rooms with injuries associated with playground equipment. Most injuries occur when a child falls from the equipment onto the ground. Many backyard playsets are placed on dirt or grass–surfaces that do not adequately protect children when they fall.

For more information on playground safety, visit the CPSC website at www.cpsc.gov to check out the Handbook for Public Playground Safety and other publications. Or, call the toll-free CPSC Hotline at 1-800-638-2772.