Sports and Play

Hundreds of kids joined Safe Kids staff and volunteers at FedEx Field on Tuesday to have fun and learn a few simple tips for staying safe this summer. Summer Safety Fun Day was co-sponsored by General Motors Foundation, The Links, Inc., Target, and Prince George’s County Kentland Palmer Park Transforming Neighborhoods Initiative.

Water, summer and kids having fun are synonymous. That was true for me when I was young, whether it involved a swimming pool, the ocean or even a big scoop of water ice in my native Philadelphia.

I still remember getting my first bike. It was a lovely fall day, and I was celebrating my 5th birthday at the local park when my parents wheeled it over. And it was beautiful – a light pink frame and white tires with a white basket on the front adorned with purple, blue and yellow daisies, and shimmering multicolored streamers flowing from the handlebars.

As the weather gets warmer, more kids will be playing outdoors and visiting playgrounds – running and jumping, climbing and swinging.

This week is National Playground Safety Week, so it’s the perfect time to review some safety tips and talk with your children about being safe while having fun on the playground.

Did you know that in 2012, 1.35 million children were seen in emergency departments for a sport-related injury? And every 3 minutes, a child is seen for a sport-related concussion.