School Days - Back-to-School Safety Reminders Can Help Prevent Accidents and Injuries

Concern about safety is easy to take backseat amid the rush to stock up on fresh school supplies and fall's hottest elementary-school fashions. But most parents are surprised to find school related accidents account for about 2.2 million injuries each year in children under the age of 14. Fortunately, many of them are easily preventable.

Here's a look at where and how school-related injuries occur, and some simple precautions parents can take to keep children safe.

Playgrounds account for the majority of school-related injuries in falls from equipment making up more than half of them. Adequate playground surfacing - at least 12 inches of wood chips, mulch or other loose-fill safety surface - who maintained throughout the years has proven to prevent injuries from falls. Kids are kids in the playground, and scrapes and bumps are just part of it, but enough to cover your child's school can help reduce risks.

Back-to-school time also increases kids' risk of injury due to traffic, bicycles and school buses. Review ALL of the basic rules of traffic safety in your walkers, car and bicycle Riders Riders to ensure the safe and from the practices of schools. Bicycle Riders should always wear a helmet (buy a "cool" if you need one ... it is cheaper than brain surgery!) At certain bike Riders learn and follow bicycle rules of the road. Bus Riders should arrive at the bus stop early, and follow the driver safety policies, walk a few steps away from exiting the bus, and wait for the bus left before crossing the street.

Perhaps the most effective preventative against measure traffic injuries are organized and on time. Although easier said than done, it is true when children and parents rush to get to the last minute, safety rules and precautions may be forgotten. Kids dash across the street and parents through the roll stop signs - that just how the accident happened. This is a challenge, but adding 15 minutes to your morning routine can dramatically reduce the risks to your family and others.

Clothing such as drawstring hoods and accessories such as backpacks also account for many injuries each year - and even some deaths in the past. Drawstrings and backpack straps can be caught in the bus or car doors, a very real and dangerous hazard. Remove or shorten drawstrings on younger kids' clothes and, once adjusted to size, cut loose or dangling backpack straps to prevent the injury.

Organized sports is another contributor to the tally of schools relating to damage, but these will not become "just part of the game." Parents should be fully aware of all the risks and make sure kids are properly conditioned, prepared for the physical demands of sport, and that the proper safety equipment is always used. Also ensure that the school sports program is prepared to treat emergencies during both training and competition.

Kids will always be kids. Accidental scrapes, bumps, falls, and even a break or two is a few things in that we signed on as for parents. But a little extra effort on the part of keeping the busy school year gets underway can mean the difference between a simple band-aid fix or 32 stitches - or worse!

The following websites offer additional information on school-related injuries and preventative steps: http://www.safekids.com - www.cpsc.gov

How Safe Is Your Backyard Playground?

One of the most effective means by which children can obtain a relaxation through the use of the playground. Parents are now aware that it is preferable for them to create their own playgrounds in their own backyard or in their neighborhood.

In fact, the community's efforts to build these playgrounds have become something that the parents of the need for their children's safety. It is easier to establish a set of equipment as a result of the overall contribution of a large number of people in a community or neighborhood.

If you are a parent or an owner or part of a community where there are games for children, you need to know how is the playground safe. Therefore, this article aims to determine the security level of your play area is for both your children and - if a community effort - your neighbors' children.

So what are the things you need to take to see if the game is safe?

1. The available space for installation and construction of equipment.

This is very important because you do not want children badly each other as a result of constantly hitting each other. This is particularly common when not enough space for games. For example, if the space between the fort and the swing is not much, there is the trend that young people with the swing and go to the fort could fall on children from the fort. This is likely to cause more injuries.

2. The floor of the playground should be constructed of materials that are both robust and lasting, without causing too much damage to children who could play their deterioration of equipment. Thus, the construction of the floor with hard materials such as asphalt will increase the severity of accidents which might occur. Instead of trying to research on materials such as rubber mulch.

3. The difference in the play equipment should be considered especially when the age of the children who use playground different. This is usually not evident for the first time. But for the experience, they know that this is a must have. This is because the equipment you need toddlers will not necessarily be suitable for school age children. Thus, a one-size-fits-all playground equipment is not recommended for playgrounds.

4. The safety of a playground is also dependent on the proximity of a parent or guardian a person who can provide security in the playground. That is why it is necessary to have adults around when the children play in the playground.

For more information, visit All About Games | rear playgrounds You can also request more information about how to build a trunk playgrounds for your children at playgrounds

How to Create a Perfect Playground Paradise?

Is there such a thing as a perfect paradise rear playgrounds? How are you going on creating a playground paradise perfect? As parents, we want the best for our children and so we tend to want to give our children the best gifts, education and so on. It is also shared by most parents who want to build a playground for their children to want to create a playground paradise perfect.

Creating the perfect paradise playground is not impossible. The only thing is if you have the ability and capital to build something like a mini Disneyland for children, then you have successfully created a playground paradise perfect.

But this does not mean that the average parent can not create a playground effective and functional in their neighborhoods. So far, the only parents who have managed to build a playground paradise perfect for children who have built themselves. So you can see that this is not something that you, as parents no longer want to fight.

Thus, the construction of a playground safe and supportive environment for children is good enough as long as you have the resources to be able to do so. You should also know that children will appreciate your efforts to build a playground where they can have fun and to the extent that they are concerned, which is perfectly adequate for most of them.

Construction of the "perfect" paradise of games will lead to a number of things such as space and equipment to be used in the construction of the playground.

Therefore, it is better that before leaving for the purchase of equipment involved, you do surveys and previous owners of playgrounds around your neighborhood.

In most cases, these people have learned a lot about the job and can tell you what to do and avoid. This will then enable you to make better choices about things that are necessary for an effective and functional children's playground.

These people would also be able to tell you what mistakes they made which you would be able to learn from everyone. The most important thing is that you really learn from all these people and apply what you learned. So you build a playground, but without the mistakes they made when they were their own. It is a way to create a perfect playground for your children.

You can also search for a great, great playgrounds and adventure manufacturer. They can also help you build a large school playground and help you avoid costly mistakes.

Children's Outdoor Playgrounds

Playgrounds are for children everywhere. Although the burden of swings and play areas that can really put pressure on school budgets and cities, these are installed, regardless of cost. Big swings and playgrounds will shape any shape and size. Wood and plastic together in metal, they are a place where families can meet. If used for birthday parties, children in daycare events, picnics, or simply respectful neighborly gatherings, activities can be easily provided and the children have space to run as fast and strong they can.

When children meet the parents a place to socialize. Picnic tables and seats are usually fairly close to the series of external games to watch every move and parents will enjoy the fresh air and sunlight. Currently children in playing video games, heat and sunlight vital eligible children. Vitamin D is essential and often neglected.

These playgrounds are usually coated with rubber mulch, wood mulch or other similar materials. Fell above these are not serious as hitting a hard Blacktop. Blacktop surfaces are not as common as they are. Many years ago, it is not uncommon for a play area for this type of surface. With new large playground and children's ability to reach new Heights, it only makes sense to put a soft surface plyable below.

Ownership of a playground is much more than what the experience of children. It is a mixture of emotions that bring us to places where freedom. In adulthood, it is easy to get bogged down in what we think, to stay, and to see a child play, laugh and experience of freedom will help us reach our free minds of young people. If only for a moment can get lost in the free nature of youth and live in their time of joy, the day we experience stress may melt momentarily.

Born to Run? Little Ones Get Test for Sports Gene

BOULDER, Colo. — When Donna Campiglia learned recently that a genetic test might be able to determine which sports suit the talents of her 2 ½-year-old son, Noah, she instantly said, Where can I get it and how much does it cost?

“I could see how some people might think the test would pigeonhole your child into doing fewer sports or being exposed to fewer things, but I still think it’s good to match them with the right activity,” Ms. Campiglia, 36, said as she watched a toddler class at Boulder Indoor Soccer in which Noah struggled to take direction from the coach between juice and potty breaks.

“I think it would prevent a lot of parental frustration,” she said.

In health-conscious, sports-oriented Boulder, Atlas Sports Genetics is playing into the obsessions of parents by offering a $149 test that aims to predict a child’s natural athletic strengths. The process is simple. Swab inside the child’s cheek and along the gums to collect DNA and return it to a lab for analysis of ACTN3, one gene among more than 20,000 in the human genome.

The test’s goal is to determine whether a person would be best at speed and power sports like sprinting or football, or endurance sports like distance running, or a combination of the two. A 2003 study discovered the link between ACTN3 and those athletic abilities.

In this era of genetic testing, DNA is being analyzed to determine predispositions to disease, but experts raise serious questions about marketing it as a first step in finding a child’s sports niche, which some parents consider the road to a college scholarship or a career as a professional athlete.

Atlas executives acknowledge that their test has limitations but say that it could provide guidelines for placing youngsters in sports. The company is focused on testing children from infancy to about 8 years old because physical tests to gauge future sports performance at that age are, at best, unreliable.

Some experts say ACTN3 testing is in its infancy and virtually useless. Dr. Theodore Friedmann, the director of the University of California-San Diego Medical Center’s interdepartmental gene therapy program, called it “an opportunity to sell new versions of snake oil.”

“This may or may not be quite that venal, but I would like to see a lot more research done before it is offered to the general public,” he said. “I don’t deny that these genes have a role in athletic success, but it’s not that black and white.”

Dr. Stephen M. Roth, director of the functional genomics laboratory at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Health who has studied ACTN3, said he thought the test would become popular. But he had reservations.

“The idea that it will be one or two genes that are contributing to the Michael Phelpses or the Usain Bolts of the world I think is shortsighted because it’s much more complex than that,” he said, adding that athletic performance has been found to be affected by at least 200 genes.

Dr. Roth called ACTN3 “one of the most exciting and eyebrow-raising genes out there in the sports-performance arena,” but he said that any test for the gene would be best used only on top athletes looking to tailor workouts to their body types.

“It seems to be important at very elite levels of competition,” Dr. Roth said. “But is it going to affect little Johnny when he participates in soccer, or Suzy’s ability to perform sixth grade track and field? There’s very little evidence to suggest that.”

The study that identified the connection between ACTN3 and elite athletic performance was published in 2003 by researchers primarily based in Australia.

Those scientists looked at the gene’s combinations, one copy provided by each parent. The R variant of ACTN3 instructs the body to produce a protein, alpha-actinin-3, found specifically in fast-twitch muscles. Those muscles are capable of the forceful, quick contractions necessary in speed and power sports. The X variant prevents production of the protein.

The ACTN3 study looked at 429 elite white athletes, including 50 Olympians, and found that 50 percent of the 107 sprint athletes had two copies of the R variant. Even more telling, no female elite sprinter had two copies of the X variant. All male Olympians in power sports had at least one copy of the R variant.

Conversely, nearly 25 percent of the elite endurance athletes had two copies of the X variant — only slightly higher than the control group at 18 percent. That means people with two X copies are more likely to be suited for endurance sports.

Still, some athletes prove science, and seemingly their genetics, wrong. Research on an Olympic long jumper from Spain showed that he had no copies of the R variant, indicating that athletic success is probably affected by a combination of genes as well as factors like environment, training, nutrition and luck.

“Just think if that Spanish kid’s parents had done the test and said, ‘No, your genes show that you are going to be a bad long jumper, so we are going to make you a golfer,’ ” said Carl Foster, a co-author of the study, who is the director of the human performance laboratory at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. “Now look at him. He’s the springiest guy in Spain. He’s Tigger. We don’t yet understand what combination of genes creates that kind of explosiveness.”

Dr. Foster suggested another way to determine if a child will be good at sprint and power sports. “Just line them up with their classmates for a race and see which ones are the fastest,” he said.

Kevin Reilly, the president of Atlas Sports Genetics and a former weight-lifting coach, expected the test to be controversial. He said some people were concerned that it would cause “a rebirth of eugenics, similar to what Hitler did in trying to create this race of perfect athletes.”

Mr. Reilly said he feared what he called misuse by parents who go overboard with the results and specialize their children too quickly and fervently.

“I’m nervous about people who get back results that don’t match their expectations,” he said. “What will they do if their son would not be good at football? How will they mentally and emotionally deal with that?”

Mr. Reilly insisted that the test is one tool of many that can help children realize their athletic potential. It may even keep an overzealous father from pushing his son to be a quarterback if his genes indicate otherwise, Mr. Reilly said.

If ACTN3 suggests a child may be a great athlete, he said, parents should take a step back and nurture that potential Olympian or N.F.L. star with careful nutrition, coaching and planning. He also said they should hold off on placing a child in a competitive environment until about the age of 8 to avoid burnout.

“Based on the test of a 5-year-old or a newborn, you are not going to see if you have the next Michael Johnson; that’s just not going to happen,” Mr. Reilly said. “But if you wait until high school or college to find out if you have a good athlete on your hands, by then it will be too late. We need to identify these kids from 1 and up, so we can give the parents some guidelines on where to go from there.”

Boyd Epley, a former strength and conditioning coach at the University of Nebraska, said the next step would be a physical test he devised. Atlas plans to direct children to Epic Athletic Performance, a talent identification company that uses Mr. Epley’s index. He founded the company; Mr. Reilly is its president.

China and Russia, Mr. Epley said, identify talent in the very young and whittle the pool of athletes until only the best remain for the national teams.

“This is how we could stay competitive with the rest of the world,” Mr. Epley said of genetic and physical testing. “It could, at the very least, provide you with realistic goals for you and your children.”

The ACTN3 test has been available through the Australian company Genetic Technologies since 2004. The company has marketed the test in Australia, Europe and Japan, but is now entering the United States through Atlas. The testing kit was scheduled to be available starting Monday through the Web site atlasgene.com.

The analysis takes two to three weeks, and the results arrive in the form of a certificate announcing Your Genetic Advantage, whether it is in sprint, power and strength sports; endurance sports; or activity sports (for those with one copy of each variant, and perhaps a combination of strengths). A packet of educational information suggests sports that are most appropriate and what paths to follow so the child reaches his or her potential.

“I find it worrisome because I don’t think parents will be very clear-minded about this,” said William Morgan, an expert on the philosophy of ethics and sport and author of “Why Sports Morally Matter.” “This just contributes to the madness about sports because there are some parents who will just go nuts over the results.

“The problem here is that the kids are not old enough to make rational autonomous decisions about their own life,” he said.

Some parents will steer clear of the test for that reason.

Dr. Ray Howe, a general practitioner in Denver, said he would rather see his 2-year-old, Joseph, find his own way in life and discover what sports he likes the best. Dr. Howe, a former professional cyclist, likened ACTN3 testing to gene testing for breast cancer or other diseases.

“You might be able to find those things out, but do you really want to know?” he said.

Others, like Lori Lacy, 36, said genetic testing would be inevitable. Ms. Lacy, who lives in Broomfield, Colo., has three children ranging in age from 2 months to 5 years.

“Parents will start to say, ‘I know one mom who’s doing the test on her son, so maybe we should do the test too,’ ” she said.

“Peer pressure and curiosity would send people over the edge. What if my son could be a pro football player and I don’t know it?”

pounds 225m for kids to play

SCHOOLS supremo Ed Balls plans a pounds 225million transformation of 3,500 run-down playgrounds in a drive to keep youngsters out of trouble.

He also wants to build 30 new adventure playgrounds in inner cities for eight to 13-year-olds, to be supervised by trained staff.

The move is part of a 10-year strategy to improve the education and welfare of nation's children.

Ministers hope it will help cut child obesity and steer youngsters away from crime and vandalism by giving them a safe area to let off steam.

A source close to Children, Schools and Families Secretary Mr Balls said: "Playing outside is an incredibly important part of growing up."

Copyright 2008 MGN LTD

Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.

Cash to keep kids playing

PLAYTIME just got more fun, thanks to a cash boost of pounds 1.5m across County Durham.

Play Durham has been launched at The Greenhouse in Annfield Plain, Derwentside.

The new group will work to make sure children and young people in the county benefit from access to a wide range of play opportunities.

Together the county's district council's have secured more than pounds 1m of Big Lottery funding to plough into play schemes.

Angela Harrington from Play Durham said: "We realise the importance of play and are keen to work together to provide the best play opportunities."

Michele Deans, regional manager of Play England, said: "It is wonderful to be able to work together to develop play and raise its profile."

COPYRIGHT 2008 MGN Ltd.

COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning

The Importance of Outdoor Play For Children

Within childhood education and development fields, the principal that free play is one of the best methods whereby children learn and develop is widely accepted. Free play occurs most spontaneously in outdoor settings where little adult supervision is required. It is important that children have the opportunity during the day to experience spontaneous play where they can utilize their creative potential and safely explore the world around them. During outdoor play, children have the freedom to yell and run, and they are encouraged be more enthusiastic and energetic. Outdoor play allows children to experience the world in which they live through sounds, textures, smells, and hands-on interaction. Research indicates that playing outdoors can enhance both the psychological and emotional well-being of children.

Children reap many benefits from outdoor play. Not only do they expend energy and exercise their bodies, but they also learn, grow and develop through outdoor play. Outdoor play is essential to motor skill development in children. During outdoor play children practice physical skills such as running and climbing. While adults often have to remind children of the hazards of certain actions, it is often the case that children will have to learn through mistakes. Children learn risk management while participating in various types of outdoor activities. With practice the child can learn to master the skill and experience the satisfaction of overcoming a previously difficult task.

Outdoor play can enhance a child's intellectual and cognitive development. The outdoors provides endless prospects for exploration and discovery. Children are able to discover how things work, and they also have the occasion to learn about plants, animals, insects, and the environment in general. Children may discover how long it takes them to run a certain distance or how much sand a pail will hold. Perhaps they will have the chance to see a bird building a nest or watching a garden grown. The possibilities for learning in an outdoor setting are unlimited. While playing outdoors children exercise both their bodies and their brains.

Social development and interaction are also important aspects of outdoor play. Children learn to differentiate between behaviors that are appropriate outdoors and those that are appropriate indoors. Sharing, negotiating and communication are all important ideas that children learn while playing with other children. Additionally, children can begin to experience independence. They can begin to assess who they are in relation to others and who they are independently. This is important in the development of friendships and this also helps the child to build confidence in their abilities.

Andrea writes for Kids' Garden Activities where you can browse garden play equipment such as paddling pools and sandpits.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrea_Flint