Studies indicate most playground injuries result from falls.
Platforms should be no more than seven feet high for school-age children and three feet for preschoolers. Swings should be at least 24 inches apart and 30 inches from the nearest support structure. Elevated surfaces should have guardrails or protective barriers to prevent falls. Openings that are between three and a half inches and nine inches present a head-entrapment hazard because they are large enough to permit a child's body to slip through but too small for the head.