Playground sign
A diamond with a child on a slide. It warns of a children’s playground beside the road.
How to read it
The MUTCD allows it ahead of a designated children's playground next to the road, in yellow or fluorescent yellow-green. California's handbook lists playgrounds among the conditions warning signs cover, with pedestrians, bicyclists and schools.
Rules vary by state and country. This explains the sign's standard meaning in the U.S. Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices; it isn't legal advice.
Where you'll see it
The MUTCD makes the sign an option ("may be used"), not a requirement. Where children reach the playground by crossing the road, the 11th edition (2023) says crosswalk markings and a pedestrian warning sign should be considered as well. A smaller version, 46 cm (18 in) square, is listed for shared-use paths and other bicycle facilities off the roadway.
Look-alikes
The School sign also warns of children, but it is an upward-pointing pentagon with squared bottom corners, a shape the MUTCD keeps for that sign alone. The Playground sign is a diamond, the shape of the warning series.
Read next
- Next in Road signsSchool crossing signA five-sided sign with two walking children. It warns of a school, a school zone or a crossing used by schoolchildren.
- The same shape in Army ranksFirst sergeant (E-8)Three chevrons above three arcs with a diamond between them are the insignia of a first sergeant (1SG), pay grade E-8 in the US Army and the senior NCO of a company.
More road signs
The same shape elsewhere
Browse symbols drawn with diamonds or lines.
Sources
- MUTCD 2009 Edition, Chapter 2C: Warning Signs and Object Markers, MUTCD 2009, Part 2, U.S. Federal Highway Administration, Section 2C.51
- California Driver's Handbook, Section 7: Laws and Rules of the Road, California Department of Motor Vehicles, Signs
- Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways, 11th edition, MUTCD, U.S. Federal Highway Administration, Section 2C.56, paras 01, 03 (printed p. 194); Table 2A-1 (p. 42); Table 9A-1 and its note 1 (pp. 1049–1050)
Researched, edited and approved by Rory Hansen before publishing. Last reviewed October 3, 2026. How we research
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