According to the latest survey by two leading advocacy groups, it's probably not up to snuff. Equipment is too high, landing surfaces are too hard, swings are too close together, and small gaps could catch kids' clothing and choke them, their survey says.
Most accidents are the result of falls.
The injuries are also costly. The latest survey covered 760 playgrounds in 24 states in April and May of 1998. Ed Mierzwinski, PIRG's consumer program director, says the playgrounds were chosen at random, in both rich and poor neighborhoods. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued guidelines on how to make playgrounds safer. Mierzwinski says the agency should make those guidelines mandatory.