The New York Times reports:
“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.”
We’re raising a generation of coddled wimps, people (except maybe our pal Elizabeth S., who lets her boys go to town on an uprooted, unstable, rusty piece of scrap metal — kudos, Elizabeth!) Read on. [via kottke]
A generation of domesticated, coddled wimps incapable of functioning without the structure they learned from “play dates” is what we’ve got going on here.
We grew up with wooden swings on chains, metal monkey bars over concrete and played in the streets at all times of the day.
Now the need for safety and aversion to any sort of conflict has produced a generation or two of sheep that will take whatever gets thrown their way and like it, unlike the same generation in southern Europe who are not going down the road to serfdom peacefully.
Here, here! This is not a new argument; when talk of renovating this playground began over 10 years ago, that was the concern among some folks – it was all going to be replaced with overly safe, hideous mega-plastic that didn’t give the slightest opportunity for an occasional boo-boo, much less any broken bones. Presumably that is, at last, what is going in.
While I certainly agree that there are new generations of pathetically over-coddled wimps in the making, I think the true impetus behind a “safer” playground is the reduced liability on the City’s part. Risk Management and insurance companies rule the day!
I think the big slide going up the hill should be a blast, and my understanding is that they are keeping the “big swings” concept as well
a long slide and swings with antimicrobial, padded foam landings. these poor kids won’t even know how to protect themselves from gravel or wood chips.
Naw, this is nonsense. They’ve got plenty of crazy equipment in playgrounds these days: Euro-trash monkey bars, two story merry go rounds, curvy slides without sides, not to mention the giant concrete monstrosities in golden gate park.
The equipment is way cooler than when I was a kid. This “kids are wimps” meme is just bullshit.
Not to worry. Children have a way of pushing their comfort zones and creating or finding danger in the most safe and stable situations.