We took Grandbaby to the riverfront playground over the weekend. It was a beautiful day in the 50's--the first nice day in a while. I was eager to see her head off and play with a roaming herd of kids.
As we arrived, I was disappointed to see that the parking lot was mostly empty--and so was the playground. When Grandbaby's Mommy was little this park would have been packed on such a day.
The play structures back then were the same plasticy things we have today , but at least back then there were some swings and sand.
The swings and sand are gone now. So are the merry-go-rounds, the teeter-totters, the super tall and fast slides, and the kids.
The problem is that these play spaces are designed for adults, not for children. For example:
They are designed to make adults feel safe and secure (We don't want to worry about law suits or Risk).
They are designed to visually appeal to adults (we want to boost property values and make other adults exclaim "wow, what a nice playground" when they pass through town.)
They are designed for adult access (in many communities fewer and fewer playgrounds are being built in locations children can walk to--they are mostly drive-to locations).
Children get easily bored with these playgrounds and are usually eager to move on to other things--especially if there are not other kids around. The most fun Grandbaby had on our playground visit was investigating an abandoned sock she found in the wood chips.
Sadly, we're not going to be hurrying back to the playground. I'll just toss some loose parts (including socks) into the yard for Grandbaby.
How about some more public play spaces designed for kids?
-Jeff Johnson-
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