Nevada is a state with a semi-arid climate, with little rainfall and snow year-by-year. Summers are hot in Nevada, with average highs of 85 degrees fahrenheit, and given Nevada’s geographic location, the state experiences a mostly dry, arid heat during the summer. When taking kids to play on the various playground equipment Las Vegas has to offer, it’s important to remember a few vital tips for keeping kids cool and out of the way of the sun’s harmful UVB rays.
Some important key structures and pieces of equipment that are perfect for either preventing sunburns, overheating, and staying cool include:
Installing any shade structure on your playground can help keep kids at play. The ideal time during the day to play for children is when the sun is out shining bright with hardly any clouds in sight. Sure, parents could put on sunscreen to prevent burning from the sun’s harmful UVB rays, but some children can get irritated with the constant reapplying, and feel slick and sticky from the substance. By adding a shade structure to any area on your playground, this is a guaranteed way to keep children out of the sun and continue to play for hours on end. At AAA State of Play, we offer a variety of shade options for any playground or outdoor site to protect both adults and kids alike from the harmful rays, and won’t have to worry while socializing and playing outside in the Nevada weather.
Water tables are a great way to incorporate cool play out in the Nevada heat. Kids of all ages can take advantage of staying cool while playing with water and sand and having an absolute blast. The Zigzag Recirculating Triple Water Trough is a great example of encouraging children to splash each other with water, making it a fun and cool social activity. At AAA State of Play, we have a numerous variety of Water Play equipment options to choose from, making your playground a hotspot for any child, while also promoting staying cool in the Nevada hot climate.
Adding specific equipment and structures to your outdoor site is a great way to keep cool in the summer weather, but more can be done to help prevent heat-related illness in children when they’re outside at play:
Make sure kids drink water every 15 minutes, even if they aren’t necessarily thirsty
Hydration is arguably the most important part of being out in hot weather without falling ill. Seeing as the body is 70 percent water by weight, this makes it all the more vital to replace lost water. Especially for kids, it’s important to make a point of hydrating, since kids are more likely to be more active when outdoors and to sweat more than an adult might. Particularly when on playground repair Las Vegas NV, hydration is key.
By utilizing a water fountain for your outdoor site or playground, you can contribute to keeping children, adults (and even pets!) hydrated and healthy while playing. Sometimes water bottles can be forgotten, so it’s important by having a source of water to drink to make sure kids, adults, and furry friends of all ages are safe from overheating and sweating too much out in the hot weather.
Along with hydration, keeping out of the sun and in the shade for adequate amounts of time is also crucial in preventing heat-related illness. Having designated cool-down periods for kids is important because, even though children at play may not always feel as though they need to take a break, their bodies may need a break from the sun anyway, so it’s important to pay attention and watch for visible signs of heat-related exhaustion or illness.
This is an easy step to take, which will effectively lower the temperature for children by a significant amount. Cotton clothing will allow for better air circulation and won’t weigh kids down or increase their temperature. Light-colored clothing will also help kids maintain a healthy body temperature. When on any of the playground equipment Nevada has, it’s crucial to remember the importance of wearing breathable clothes, constructed using flexible materials such as cotton.
For some kids, certain medications increase the risk of heat-related issues when playing outside. Therefore, it’s crucial to take note if and when your kids display symptoms of heat stroke or other illnesses. Especially when kids participate in strenuous activities or sporting events on the playground equipment Las Vegas has, the risk of hot weather-related problems is ever present. If your kids are taking part in a sporting event, consider making sure there are medical services available within a reasonable distance, in case one or more kids face heat-related medical issues while at play.
It’s important to not immediately put children in a situation where they could potentially suffer from heat-related illness. While some children are used to the heat, others are not, so it’s important to pay attention to a child’s reactions to hot weather, and to make sure that kids especially susceptible to heat-related illness don’t have issues when playing outside in hot weather.
