Monkey bars will provide hours of fun for your children, but as they dangle and swing from bar to bar, they can easily injure themselves. Many parents can find themselves wondering how they can keep their little ones safe while they have fun, and that is why we are here today!
We have detailed the different ways that you can keep your children safe on monkey bars, including providing the right space around the bars and supervising your children as they play. Let’s dive in today!
1. Supervise Your Children at All Times
The most important step to keeping your children safe on monkey bars is to supervise them at all times. It can take seconds for a serious accident to happen, so it is essential that you are supervising your children and are able to intervene when needed.
When supervising your children, we recommend setting some ground rules and making all children aware of them to ensure everyone is safe. These rules might vary depending on your children, but could include not standing on top of the bars, crowding other children, or recklessly jumping.
You should spend some time teaching your children to share the monkey bars, and you might need to add time limits to ensure everyone gets a chance to enjoy the monkey bars.
2. Teach Your Children How to Swing Safely
Teaching your children some safety techniques and how to swing on the monkey bars can help reduce the chance of injuries and keep them safe. We recommend the following guidance to keep your children safe:
Swinging Foundation
Your children need to know the foundations of swinging, teaching them to hand first before they attempt to swing. Hanging from a monkey bar requires upper arm strength and the right technique.
Teach them to wrap their thumbs around the bars and incorporate climbing, push-ups, or crawling to improve upper body strength and make it easier for them to hang.
Swinging and Landing Techniques
Swinging and landing techniques are crucial to keep your children safe. Start with a slow swing that remains steady, keeping your children in control.
When swinging, encourage them to bend their knees, as this will help with absorbing shock if they let go or fall from the bars. You also want to teach them how to intentionally release the bars instead of losing control and slipping.
Age-appropriate Fun
You need to ensure that your child is playing appropriately for their age, with considerations made. Young children and toddlers should start with low bars and be supported when hanging and swinging, while older children can practice swinging independently, but at a safe height.
As your children grow, you can increase the height of the bars and practice advanced moves, like skipping bars.
3. Choose the Right Monkey Bars
When choosing a monkey bar set, you need to ensure it’s the right option for your children. Look for those with an adjustable height that will grow with your children, made from a durable material that will last for years.
Ideally, you want a solid steel or treated wood set, as these will survive any climate for years. Your monkey bars should also come with an anchoring system that helps you secure them to the ground, preventing them from toppling over or moving while your child swings.
4. Consider Where the Monkey Bars are Placed
Monkey bars need to have plenty of space around them, reducing the chance of your children swinging or falling into a hard object. Ideally, you want a 2-meter clearance around them, with no hard objects nearby.
You also need to consider the space below the monkey bars and lace monkey bars over sand, mulch, rubber mats, or grass, as these will offer a soft landing zone and absorb some of the impact from a fall.
When adding monkey bars to your garden, ensure they are sitting flat and secure on level ground.
5. Inspect the Monkey Bars Regularly
Finally, you will want to carry out regular inspections of your monkey bars to ensure they are safe for your children. A loose screw or damaged bar can be very dangerous, especially if it breaks while your child swings!
Pay attention to every bolt, bar, and connection on the monkey bars, ensuring everything is tight and assembled correctly. You might find you need to tighten the bolts regularly to keep the monkey bar functional and safe.
If you have a metal monkey bar, you will want to wipe down the bars regularly, especially after wet weather. This will help to prevent rust and make them less slippery for your children, preventing any slips and injuries. A rust treatment can be applied too for extra protection in the winter months.
Alongside inspecting the monkey bars, you might need to adjust them as your child grows, increasing the height and adding new accessories.
Find Your Perfect Outdoor Monkey Bar Set Today
By following these five tips, you can keep your children safe on monkey bars and ensure they can have fun without the risk of serious injuries.
When choosing your monkey bars, consider purchasing yours from Vuly, which offers a wide range of monkey bars to suit every budget. Check out the Vuly Play monkey bars to see which is right for you!
