Many people who go to the indoor play areas to take their children to the soft play areas are astounded when they get there and discover that there are rules children must obey when in these soft play areas.
These are places for children to turn loose and play, should they have strict rules regarding the way a child can play? Any person that establishes soft play areas for toddlers to come and play accepts responsibility for any injuries those children get while playing there.
The soft play areas are supposed to be safer places for toddlers because they have no hard surfaces, or sharp corners, that could cause injury to the children playing there.
When you accept the responsibility for injuries that may occur then you have to establish some ground rules to lessen the possibility of injury.
This means that any activity that could cause a child to be harmed has to be regulated, or restricted.
Running is a natural part of playing for children, but when you have several children in one area running can become hazardous.
One child running through the play area could knock another child down.
The area is carpeted, and every precaution has been taken to make an impact less traumatic, but when a child falls they can bite their tongues, or hit their mouths in such a manner as to break teeth.
No running is allowed in these areas.
Only one child on the slide at a time is often a rule in these locations.
If you get more than one child on a slide then you are likely to get a child injured.
The toddlers must be taught to take their turns, one at a time, when using the ball pool slides.
No shoes can be worn in a bouncy castle, or on a trampoline.
When kids have on soft shoes the parents often think it should be alright for them to keep their shoes on while they are playing in the bouncy castle.
There is a strict no shoe policy to protect children from being injured by the soles of shoes, and to protect the equipment from being damaged by shoes.
Children must wear shorts that come at least to their knees when they are using the slides.
Many parents do not understand that this rule is set about to protect their children from injury.
The little ones can possibly get skin abrasions when their skin is in contact with the slide and they are sliding downward.
These abrasions may even be painful, so the children need to have on clothing that comes to their knees to prevent these abrasions from occurring.
Children are not allowed to play without socks on.
This is a sanitary issue that protects the children from coming into contact with some germs.
There are height requirements on some of the toys.
If a child that is smaller than average uses one of the taller slides there is a possibility that they could be injured.
The play areas set height requirements so that parents know what size a child needs to be to safely use the equipment.