Playground Too Safe For You?
Were You Around During the ‘Playground Cleansing”?
You may have forgotten the ‘movement’ that caused cities to reevaluate all jungle gym, monkey bars and other playground equipment. Now we have a backlash…even from psychologists who are saying bring back the adventure and challenges!
Yes, it just goes like that. You take out some things that are harmful to children and then find out the children needed that challenge in their lives. Here’s the argument:
“I grew up on the monkey bars (10 feet tall) in Fort Tryon Park, NY and I never forgot how good it felt to get to the top of them,” Stern said. “I didn’t want to see that playground scrapped. I said that as long as I was parks commissioner, those monkey bars were going to stay.” Henry Stern, city’s parks commissioner in the 1990s.
“Children need to encounter risks and overcome fears on the playground,” said Ellen Sandseter, a professor of psychology at Queen Maud University in Norway. “I think monkey bars and tall slides are great. As playgrounds become more and more boring, these are some of the few features that still can give children thrilling experiences with heights and high speed.”
There you have two opinions…here’s a third one
about ‘challenging’ playground equipment. When my firstborn was 8 years old, he had his first day in a new school…new city. The ‘phone call’ came that he’d fallen off the high climbing bars and broke his arm. Great! I’m 8 1/2 months pregnant, staying with our little family in a motel until we can move into a home, husband’s at work and I don’t have the rental car. Our son fell from the top of the bars which was about 15 feet or more. There he was in the nurse’s office with an issue of National Geographic folded around his arm to stabilize it. We spent the next 4 hours in an emergency room waiting. My opinion, based on personal experience, leave the bars somewhat high, but don’t overdo it.
The most common risky behavior for a child is climbing heights
A child who’s hurt in a fall before the age of 9 is less likely as a teenager to have a fear of heights. In our son’s case…absolutely true! As a young adult he entered the Navy desiring to become a Navy Seal. They don’t have fear of heights.
Shorter equipment with enclosed platforms for jungle gyms was introduced in the 80’s-90’s. The old pavement was replaced with rubber, wood chips or other materials designed for softer landings.
Now we hear that there is no clear evidence that playground safety measures have lowered the average risk on playgrounds.
But it seemed so safe!
It has been found that if children and parents believe they are in an environment which is safer than it actually is, they will take more risks. An argument against softer surfacing is that children think it is safe, but because they don’t understand what the surfaces will actually do when they fall. They see rubber chips and think, “Wow, now I can bounce when I drop!”
Some playgrounds now include smaller climbing walls and rope nets with artificial rocks.
The ultra-safe enclosed platforms of the 80’s and 90’s may have been an overreaction, but lately there have been more creative alternatives. I like a lot of the ‘pretend play’ playgrounds with themes…pirates, boats, forts, etc.
What do you look for in a playground? Would you rather it be ultra safe, or wildly fun? Leave your comments…we love them!
No playground will ever be a free zone from injury no matter how it’s attempted to be minimized.
Myself as a case in point:
I broke my arm falling off a backyard swing set (you know, the type that if you swung to hard the poles came up out of the ground – ha!) and as a kindergartner on the school playground, a piece of metal flew in my eye.
Each of these incidents happened within a matter of weeks so I was sporting a cast AND an eye patch.
I agree – keep it challenging (within reason) I’m sad to see so many parks without swings.
-H
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How true, Heidi. A child could fall and break something in their own bedroom! When our last boy was three, he was sitting on a wood beam that was less than a foot off the ground. He fell backwards and broke his wrist. The only way we knew it was fractured was every time he bent his wrist to eat pizza that night, he cried. But you wouldn’t believe the other things he did and he was fine!
It is important to supervise kids playing on this playground. There are many instances that a child have an accident some are fatal. I don’t know why most people bring their children to such venue. I for one is against this.
All of the playgrounds in our area seem safe and very fun. And I go to a LOT (I can count 10+ off the top of my head in just a few seconds). I appreciate the rubber play mats and plastic slides that don’t get too hot.
The one park that I don’t like feels dangerous to me because it is SO spread out and very, very popular so there is always a crowd (school groups, summer camp groups, etc are always around). I don’t like that park because I am afraid I am going to lose one of my kids.
I think one of the biggest problems at parks is the lack of supervision. My four year old son does great with monkey bars because I stand beneath him, spotting him and coaching him through each step. When he feels safe enough to try a new challenge (ie the fire-man pole) I help him with the process until I know he can do it on his own. When kids have someone that can turn to and reach out to in an emergency, they seem to do just fine.
CK,
I always liked a smaller park with my children for the same reasons. Pretty soon your son will be coaching his sibling how to do what he does on the playground equipment. I love your personal involvement with him on the monkey bars.
DonnaPerugini recently posted..What Do You Know About Holding Grudges?
Yeah, there is nothing wrong if a parent or a guardian accompanies their child to a park. If the one he/she is going to play is safe, let them handle but you mostly would watch. How about both of you play in it. Like on monkey barks just like CK did. You both enjoyed and the child would surely love that, an adult playing with them.
🙂
This is a difficult one for me because I am not much or a risk taker when it comes to physical things. lol However, I do think it is important for children to be challenged. I will agree that the playgrounds now days are getting a bit boring though. 🙂
Jenni Mullinix recently posted..Mommy Time: A Privilege Or A Right? {Thrive @ Home Thursday}
Jenni,
I was never into risk taking either with my children. That doesn’t mean they didn’t find the ‘risks’ everywhere they went though.
It’s amazing how children can make it through so many bumps, hits and tumbles without any damage. Then along comes the day when they feel like their super heros and end up with a broken-something-or-other. Thank the Lord that they heal so quickly!
Yes, playgrounds can be down right boring. The pendulum will swing the other way again and you’ll start seeing some exciting playgrounds…hopefully in your little one’s childhood!
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