SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Unfortunately, the heat has the ability to create blistering temperatures at a place many kids enjoy, playgrounds. Did you know that children can get a second-degree burn from a metal or plastic slide?
Plastic or rubber surfaces, swing-sets and even the material children are walking on at the playground have the potential to reach dangerous temperatures. In hot weather, a slide can reach a temperature of 140 degrees!
We visited two parks with a temperature gun to check out the differences between shaded and unshaded equipment. Below are the numbers we gathered. Take into account that we're not looking into the materials that each item is made of, so temperatures may vary from park-to-park.
BRYTE PARK
Bryte Park is a shaded park on Todhunter Avenue in West Sacramento. But, depending on the time of day, several park structures will be in direct sunlight. Below are the temperatures we recorded.
Swingset: Swingsets at Bryte Park are your run of the mill rubber seat with a metal chain. When tested, the seat was 137 degrees and the chain was 106 degrees.
Shaded slide: There are two green slides in the above picture. The one in the shade (to the left) came in at a surprising 101 degrees but didn't burn when touched.
Slide in the sun: The shade in partial sun (to the right) registered at 149 degrees. That's 48 degrees hotter! It was not comfortable to touch, so make sure the kiddos have pants.
Rock wall: The wall itself registered at 145 degrees, with the "rocks" coming in at 125 degrees.
RELATED: Sacramento Local Forecast
FREMONT PARK
John C. Fremont Park in Sacramento is on Q Street. It features a playground that has no shade over it, but at certain times of the day, several structures are out of the sun. Below are the temperatures we recorded.
Plastic slide: Much like what we found at Bryte Park, the slides had decent variations in temperature based on whether or not they were in the sun. A slide in the sun came in at 137 degrees, with a slide in the shade at 102 degrees.
Metal ladder: Every slide has ladders, right? Surprisingly, the brightly colored green ladder at this park wasn't very hot. It registered at 113 degrees and was comfortable to touch.
Stairs and walkways: Where do kids lean and fall down? On the wood chips and the walkways. Those get hot, too! Stairs and walkways were148 degrees in the sun and 115 degrees in the shade.
PLAYGROUND SAFETY
Playgrounds get hot! Before you decide to spend time there on a high-temperature day, think about which park would be best for the kids.
- Hit the playground early in the morning when temperatures aren't hot.
- Always use your hands to check the temperature playground equipment before allowing kids to play.
- Children should always wear shoes.
- Seek out playground structures which are shaded, if possible.
