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BELINDA M. FROM FLORIDA ASKS:
With record temps already and more extreme heat expected, I’m worried. How can I ensure playground safety for my child this summer? Are playgrounds a safe place to play when it’s this hot out?
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MOM DETECTIVE ANSWERS:
Belinda, please know you’re so not alone with this worry. Summer is the stuff of childhood—with swinging, sliding, and monkey-bar-ing at its very core. And yet, for our kids and their climate-changed generation, extreme weather and soaring temperatures are a constant co-reality impinging on warm weather joy.
Your question is legit. It’s well established that playground materials can heat up to dangerous levels during extreme heat. Children have thin and fragile skin, which is more susceptible to burns than adult skin. So much so that kids have scorched their little feet when walking barefoot on rubber playground surfaces that reach a whopping 160 degrees. It feels like every year when the weather heats up, there’s a horrifying cautionary tale in local media. In 2018, a four-year-old Missouri girl suffered immediate second-degree burns to her legs from going down a hot slide that was clocked at 150 degrees when tested. In 2023, the impacted child was five, in Alabama, the slide was at an elementary school playground, the burn was also second degree, and the temperature outside was 101 degrees.
A hotter-than-usual summer is expected to occur in the U.S. (and many other parts of the globe), according to forecasts and research. Your question couldn’t be more timely. Also, Florida, where you live, is considered one of the hottest states in the U.S. In extreme heat, playgrounds pose risks in three keys ways:
- Thermal burns
- Amplified surface temperatures
- Heat-exacerbated air pollutants
Let’s dig into each category, then I’ll share some thoughts on how to safely reclaim summer fun. Kids can absolutely enjoy playgrounds safely, even in extreme heat.
Thermal burns
Burns on playgrounds happen fast. Depending on the temperature of the playground equipment, it can take less than three seconds for a child’s skin to burn. Equipment and material that reaches 118 degrees can cause first-degree burns. Equipment or material that reaches 131 degrees can cause second-degree burns with blistering within seconds. Humans feel pain at 111 degrees, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
When it comes to thermal burns, weather plays a role. The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC)’s playground burn fact sheet says playground equipment can heat up to unsafe temperatures even in mild weather, as long as it’s in direct sunlight for an extended period. They’ve had a report of a thermal burn on a 74-degree day. Extreme heat increases the likelihood of overly hot playground equipment. Recent tests in your steamy home state of Florida clocked a playground slide at 157.7 degrees, a swing set at 131 degrees, and a rubberized playground floor at a 177.9 degrees!
These tests highlight how important materials are when it comes to playground safety. I would personally have assumed metal slides and poles heat up more than something made of, say, plastic. But this is not the case—and is good to keep in mind when going to the park. Metal, plastic, rubber, asphalt, and various coated materials, especially those in dark colors, can all lead to thermal burns in summer heat, says the CPSC.
Multiplied surface temperatures and off-gassing materials
Whatever heat playground equipment absorbs, it also releases. That’s how things like rubber playground floors can reach such wildly high temperatures. And playgrounds are specifically built to keep kids moving from place to place—hot material to hot material. These two factors could lead to a heat-related illness.
Asphalt play surfaces are specifically known to heat up and can register temperatures as much as 50 degrees higher than the ambient temperature. Ditto astroturf surfaces. So even if your kid doesn’t get a thermal burn at the playground, they could still be subject to drastically amplified temperatures as they race around enjoying themselves on baking surfaces hotter than the air. This puts them at further risk on extreme heat days for heat-related illnesses like heatstroke and heat exhaustion.
To add insult to injury, all these various playground materials and surfaces can be more likely to release their chemical components into surrounding air as they sizzle. This is called off-gassing or out-gassing. Many of the materials used to make playgrounds—from plastic to rubber and possibly even pressure-treated wood—can off-gas when heated, especially to high temperatures. Rubber surfaces are useful to soften the blow when kids fall and can keep them from breaking limbs, but they can also contain an unknown cocktail of chemicals. It’s hard to know what, exactly, any given rubber or artificial turf surface is made of, but we do know they can include neurotoxins like lead and other heavy metals, as well as carcinogenic and hormone-disrupting chemicals, volatile organic compounds, and even PFAS chemicals.
Exposure to amplified temperatures as well as possibly off-gassing materials happens while kids are inhaling deeply into their developing lungs: racing around, jumping, screaming, and otherwise having a blast. Younger kids are thought to be at greater risk of exposure to potentially harmful chemicals at playgrounds than older children. They’re more likely to put their dirty hands in their mouths or, say, drop a pacifier, then pick it up and resume sucking. Additional air pollutants may be at playgrounds located close to traffic-filled roads or those treated with pesticides.
Playground safety—and fun
Knowledge is useful, but sometimes it can be overwhelming. A little context: thermal burns, while scary, are rare. CPSC says they’re only aware of nearly 30 thermal burn incidents from 2001 to 2008. Of those incidents, 10 were associated with plastic, rubber, or other nonmetal surfaces, and seven were associated with metal surfaces. I would much prefer my kids be outside with off-gassing rubber mats than shut indoors with them and no ventilation. The best thing any caregiver can do to help their kids have safe fun on playgrounds in extreme heat is to use common sense. Here are a few tips:
- Play in the morning or the evening. Avoid peak sun exposure times.
- Seek shade and grass. The National Program for Playground Safety says most public playgrounds lack adequate shady spots. Frequent the shady ones near you. Also, grass is less likely to get as hot as asphalt or rubber surfaces. Look for it.
- Touch the equipment! It’s the rare mom who owns a thermal gun. Test slides and more with the back of your hand before allowing kids to play.
- Be heat smart. Check heat and air quality indexes before playing, wear sunscreen, dress in loose long pants and shirts to avoid bare skin on playground equipment, wear shoes to protect little feet, drink ample fluids, and spend time indoors, preferably with air conditioning, when it’s too hot to play.
- Talk to your school, summer camps, and daycare. Make sure you’re on the same page. Miami schools stop outdoor play when the temperature is 92 degrees or higher. All care providers need plans for extreme heat days.
- Know what to look for. Familiarize yourself with signs of heat-related illnesses. Approximately 1,220 people in the U.S. die every year due to extreme heat, according to the CDC.
- Water is wonderful. Look for a local playground with water features like sprinklers. These are fear-free fun, especially when not located under direct sun.
You can also join Moms Clean Air Force to get involved in the fight to cut the climate pollution causing extreme heat and heat-related illnesses like heat exhaustion. Together, we can demand our agencies and elected officials continue to invest in clean energy, clean cars, and clean air and act on climate today.
Learn more about Moms’ work on playgrounds.
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