Placement and Play Area Surfacing

Before assembling this product, select and prepare a play area.

Select a Play Area

Select an area on level ground at least 6 feet from any structure or obstruction such as a fence, garage, house, overhanging branches, washing lines or electrical lines.

Prepare a Surface

Following are guidelines from the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Handbook for Public Playground Safety to mini- mize injuries that can result from falls. These guidelines apply to playground equipment including but not limited to swing sets and climbing equipment.

Hard surfacing materials are not suitable for use under this equipment. Earth surfaces such as soils and hard packed dirt are also not recommended because their shock absorbing properties can vary depending on climatic conditions such as mois- ture and temperature. Grass and turf are not recommended because their effectiveness in absorbing shock during a fall can be reduced considerably due to wear and environmental conditions.

Acceptable surfacing materials are available in two basic types: loose-fill and unitary.

Loose-fillmaterials can have acceptable shock absorbing properties when installed at a sufficient uncompressed depth of at least 6 inches. These materials include sand (fine and coarse), gravel (fine and medium) and shredded wood products (wood mulch, shredded bark, wood chips). Loose-fills should not be installed over hard surfaces such as asphalt or

concrete.

The depth of any loose-fill material could be reduced during use resulting in different shock-absorbing characteristics. For this reason, a depth greater than the minimum recommended should be considered.

Unitary materials are generally rubber mats or a combination of rubber-like materials held in place by a binder that may be poured in place at the playground site and cures to form a unitary shock absorbing surface.

Maintenance

Periodically check to be sure equipment has adequate protective surfacing under and around it. Inspect surfacing material for deterioration. Check loose surfacing material for foreign objects or debris. Also look for compaction and reduced depth, with special attention to heavy use areas such as those under swings and slide exit regions.

Message to Parents

Thank you for purchasing the Fisher-Price®Backyard Treehouse™. The Backyard Treehouse™ should be assembled by an adult, preferably by two adults. Please read these instructions carefully and identify all parts before assembly. Refer to the parts illustration on the next page for identification.

Questions? We’d like to hear from you!

Call Fisher-Price® Consumer Affairs, toll-free at 1-800-432-KIDS,8 AM - 6 PM EST Monday through Friday. Hearing-

impaired consumers using TTY/TDD equipment, please call 1-800-382-7470. Or, write to: Fisher-Price® Consumer Affairs,

636 Girard Avenue, East Aurora, New York 14052.