NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) – The next time you take your kids to the playground, you may want to think twice before letting them on the equipment.
The hot plastic or metal could easily cause a burn to your child’s skin.
"When you have temperatures like it's going to be all this week, where the average temp is going to be 95, you need to watch out where you are and what you're doing,” Terry Hartwick said.
Hartwick, Director of North Little Rock Parks, said a child could get a burn if they touch something over 140 degrees.
"Tip to parents, always be attentive. You can have a child sitting on these steps here and can't get up because it's so hot,” he said.
We headed out to Burns Park in North Little Rock to check out how hot some of the equipment can get.
The hottest piece equipment was a slide that registered at over 170 degrees.
"Parents, grandparents, be careful what you're on. All the steps can be very hot,” Hartwick said.
The turf at One Heart Park registered at 175 degrees.
Amy Heathcock and her kids like to spend their summer days at the park. She said she is very careful when her kids go on the playground.
“We stick to the shaded areas,” Heathcock said. “My sons wearing shorts today. We probably won’t go [down the slides] at all. I don’t want their skin to burn.”
If you do want to make a trip to the playground, it is best to avoid midday.
"I would say enjoy the mornings. Enjoy the late afternoons, but the middle of the day can be trying,” Hartwick said.
Hartwick said North Little Rock is planning on adding a canopy over One Heart Park to help with the heat.