Outdoor playgrounds can be exciting places where children explore their environment and develop motor and social skills; however, they can also pose serious safety hazards. With the exception of California, no mandatory state or federal standards currently exist regarding manufacture or installation of playground equipment or surfaces. The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) has established a voluntary industry standard for public playground safety. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has also established voluntary guidelines. Most playground injuries are caused by preventable hazards, including: (1) inadequate fall zones; (2) absence of guardrails; (3) dangerous protrusions and entanglements; (4) hazardous entrapment areas; and (5) inadequate supervision. Suggestions for how children, parents and others can help increase playground safety include: (1) using equipment as it was intended; (2) staying off of hot metal surfaces; (3) installing a fall zone of appropriate materials; and (4) modifying unsafe equipment. (Includes sources for additional information.) (BGC)