Playgrounds serve as a central hub for communities, yet playground-related injuries remain a concern among parents, educators and health care providers. More than 200,000 playground-related injuries are treated in the U.S. emergency departments annually among children 18 years and younger.  The leading causes of playground injuries are falls, impact/strike, cut/pinch/crush, entrapment/entanglement, and trip/slip. Playground-related injuries commonly treated in the emergency department are fractures, contusions/abrasions, and lacerations. Research also has raised concern of an increase in playground-related traumatic brain injuries and has shown that contemporary playgrounds can expose children to unsafe environmental conditions.   This webinar brings together three experts from various disciplines, Eric Kennedy of Bucknell University, Heather Olsen of the National Program for Playground Safety, and Jennifer Vanos of Arizona State University to discuss promising tools and actions for S.A.F.E.™ playgrounds. Rhonda Siegel, New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, will moderate this webinar. 

Recognizing that we are currently experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic and may not have all of the answers about how to safely reopen public playgrounds where they had been closed, CSN wants to hear from you about what is happening in your state/community regarding playgrounds. When you register for this webinar, please respond to the questions regarding your experience.