Shaded children's play area

Children’s Playgrounds in Spain can be a dangerous place when the sun is at its strongest. Shade Sails by Coolashade offer UV protection and keep your structures cool on the hot Spanish sun.

Coolashade Shade Sails in Spain are the leading company for Shade Structures to keep your Family safe from the harmful effects of the Strong Spanish sun.

Summers in Spain can be hot, very hot, so it probably doesn’t surprise you to find that playground equipment can quickly heat up too. But just how hot can the equipment get, and how dangerous is it for your children?

Doctors and scientists tell us that a surface hotter than 49 degrees centigrade can burn, and it can be incredibly dangerous to children whose skin is more sensitive than adults. The metal and plastic equipment used in playgrounds has lots of potential to heat up more than you’d expect when exposed to direct sunlight.

Shade Sail shading Children's play areaIn a recent study of a standard children’s playground in the United States a temperature sensor was used to measure the heat of the playground equipment that the children were in danger of touching. The results are frightening. A slide recorded a temperature of 45 degrees centigrade, the monkey bars were 48°c and the seat of a see-saw was an astounding 52 degrees centigrade! It was also worrying to find the rubberized surface material on which the playground was built measured just as hot as the equipment. The playground where the recordings above were taken, for example, measured at more than 65 degrees centigrade. The problem is, as one child explained, “It’s out in the sun all day, cooking. There’s no shade or anything for it.”

Last year, an 18-month-old girl from Des Moines, Iowa, received second-degree burns on her arms, knees and stomach after she went down a hot slide. Experts tell us that if you can’t keep your hand on a hot surface for more than a few seconds then don’t let children near it.

If you are concerned about the temperature of your playground equipment the best way to know if it is safe is to check it with the back of your hand, not your palm, because the skin on the back is more sensitive. Also, be aware that younger children can burn more easily because they don’t always have the reflexes to immediately pull away. Always test any equipment before allowing your children to play on it, even those in the shade as it might have only just come from out of direct sunlight.

What can we do to help protect children?

The most obvious way is to keep our children indoors, but let’s be honest, that isn’t going to happen! The next best solution which is both affordable and attractive is to install a Coolashade shade sail to give protection, not just to the children’s equipment, but to the children too.

Your youngsters can play on the shaded equipment without burning themselves and at the same time they are protected from the sun’s harmful UV rays. This solution is perfect not only for a home situation, but also for schools and local outside spaces where kids play on equipment. The shade sails from Coolashade come in many different sizes and colours and are strong, well built and ideal for all applications. Extras that can be supplied include padded pole protectors that ensure a safe play environment for your children.