Enjoy Your Playground But Be Safe
Guess what I didn’t know? My bet is that you didn’t either. It is National Playground Safety Week. Who knew that something so specific could be it’s own “week.” A day, I could see, but a week.
I have a feeling that this is made up. By the Playground Lobby in Congress, the second biggest lobby behind the Oil Industry.
So, I did a little research into this so-called week. And look what I found. There is a whole organization devoted to Playground Safety. I am not sure why I capitalized playground safety. The Lobby made me do it.
No offense, but does this issue really need a whole week, much less an organization? I know, I know, there are exactly 205,860 accidents each year that are serious enough to send a kid to the hospital, but really a whole week? If a kid isn’t smart enough to play safely, for his or her own sake, then maybe this is where the whole survival of the fittest thing comes into play. Ah, I am sure I am kidding. All kids are precious.
Maybe I should come up with a disclaimer for this site, huh?
Still, this whole playground thing got me thinking. Why is it that safety always trumps fun? Those new swings that are in all the playgrounds, those little kiddie swings with a whole harness seat rather than a rectangular strap that makes it easier to jump out of…I hate those things. I may not be a little kid, but guess what Playground Safety Lobby, I like to swing. Those little harnesses may be slightly safer for kids (wouldn’t they get caught in them somehow?), but what about bigger kids and even normal sized adults? Are we not allowed to swing?
I live by the Kenilworth Park, and the powers that be have put in a new playground area in the lower part of the park. The swings are not installed yet, and I am really, really hoping that the old school swings are installed rather than the harness style swings that are in the upper part of the park. I want to swing once in a while, dammit.
National Playground Safety Week, swings, Kenilworth Park
April 21st, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Say it Lulu! Yeah, I like the old school swings too. We had a meeting recently with our neighbors and some of them wanted to lower the monkey bars. Safer but sort of pointless since they were meant for climbing.
April 21st, 2008 at 8:40 pm
I can’t believe I’m saying this…I understand the need for being safety-conscious, but GEEZ! Have you seen how kids in Japan play on the playground? They develop balance, strength, and personal safety and ability knowledge. They take risks and learn so much about cause-effect! The don’t wear shoes most of the time, so they can really FEEL the ground and textures below. They climb, tight-rope walk, and jump from one block to another (sometimes up to 4-5 feet apart!)
I’m an elementary teacher and I’ve seen many an injury on playgrounds over the past 22 years…and kids really learn lessons and coping strategies when they fall and get a bruise or broken bone. I’m not saying those things are “good” things, but isn’t that reality? How in the world will they ever learn the fear of pain…and how to jump…unless given the chance???
Your blog rocks!