A tipster sent me a link over the weekend that gave me goosebumps because it’s something that pretty much all well-meaning parents have done at the playground: 
give our toddlers a ride on our laps down a big slide. I would never have imagined it could cause a broken leg.
This MSNBC article describes how, if a child’s foot gets caught on the slide, the weight of an adult or older child going down the slide can add so much momentum that the toddler’s shinbone snaps. (Goosebumps again, just typing it!) The doctors interviewed for the article suggest if kids are leery of going down the slide by themselves, they be steered toward other, more appropriate playground activities for their skill level.
And while we’re on the topic of slides, remember that this time of year the sun is starting to heat things up – including slides. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s safety tips for both public and home playgrounds remind parents to test unshaded slides and make sure that the surfaces don’t feel hot to the touch. Kids’ legs can sustain serious burns from going down hot metal (or even plastic) slides.
By Amy De La Hunt, Health Blogger for SmartParenting
Amy De La Hunt is a journalist and editor who lives in the St. Louis metro area and works across the country as a writer, copy editor, project manager and editorial consultant on everything from fiction books to monthly magazines to blog posts. When she's not chauffeuring her teenage sons to activities, Amy is an enthusiastic amateur cook, landscaper, Latin dancer and traveler. Follow Amy on Instagram @amy_in_words
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