A carousel or merry go round is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating platform with holding rodes for passengers. It moves in circolar motion and it is mannually driven generally. The other popular names of merry-go-round are roundabout and flying horses.

Adult supervision is must while playing in merry go round

It is estimated that more than 40 percent of playground injuries may be in some way related to inadequate supervision. Children should always be observed when playing on playground equipments like merry go round. Adults need to watch for potential hazards, observe children playing, intercede and facilitate play when necessary and be available in case an injury occurs.

Children are developmentally different. Therefore, merry go-rounds designed for children ages 5 to 12 is too big for children ages 2 to 5. so keep in mind the age of the child before putting merry go round in the backyard for the child.

Free of apparent hazards

While making a play area, check that there are no apparent immediate hazards. Hazards range from broken glass or metal pieces lying backyard creates congestion among the play equipment where children could collide or fall on each other. Before installing merry go round be sure that metal equipment is in shaded areas or has a protective surface to prevent burns. Improper surfacing is the leading cause of many of those injuries. A fall to those surfaces could be life threatening. Make the backyard surface with rubber tiles, mats or poured surfaces. Surfaces should be maintained to a depth proportionate to the height of the merry go round. Loose-fill surfaces may need to be pushed back underneath the merry go round for adequate cushioning if the material has been moved or pushed to the edge of the play area. Cushioned surfacing should be provided under it and its fall zones. Therefore, it should be extended a minimum of six feet in all directions from the perimeter of the merry go round.

Inspect the action of merry-go-rounds.

Merry-go-rounds should be firmly anchored into the ground and have handles for children to grasp easily. The surface under the bed of the merry-go-round should be positioned so that children cannot slide underneath. The gearbox should be covered so fingers cannot get caught. Finally, a governor should be attached to control the ultimate speed of the unit. It is always fun to have merry go round at the backyard provided it is safe and supervised properly.