(Photos from the Seattle Municipal Archives Collection). Even so, Germanys dizzying climbing towers could soon become blueprints for playgrounds in Britain and the US. There is some research showing that contemporary playgrounds are so safe that children are injured trying to eke out risk from them. Neuland-Park 65 Parks Playgrounds By Hawen12 Has big events too. Growing up in Kansas in the 60s and 70s, most of these pieces were still around. O dear Lord those playgrounds were killer! November 04, 2021. Companias de Seguro alemanas piden mas riesgo en los parques infantiles Chico, a staffordshire terrier, was captured by firefighters who broke into a flat near Hanover last Tuesday and found the bodies of its owners, named as Lezime K, 52, and her son Liridon, 27. And while I appreciate your perspective, and hear your argument, I absolutely do not appreciate you telling me shame on you. I have done nothing remotely shameful, and honestly dont understand why youre so angry at a stranger about an article topic that may have some degree of personal meaning to you, but is not actually about you or your choices, past or present. Join us and subscribe for more. Privacy Policy | Abenteuerlicher Bauspielplatz Kolle 37. Strasser bristled at the mention of the low platforms surrounded by rubber matting that are still ubiquitous in British and American playgrounds. The 10 Playground Hazards Most Dangerous to Kids That's quite the slide. Thanks! Dangers to Look Out for at the Park - Playground Professionals They made kids tough and coordinated and even 10 year Olds knew better than to go down a metal slide when it was 80 outside and in the sun. Looks like they were having a busy day at the Zabriskie Playground in Jersey City, New Jersey back in 1910 or so. One day, when my daughter and some friends were playing, one of the smaller boys fell through the space where the log had been, and his head got stuck. With 7 kids in my family growing up on the equipment we had only 2 ER injuries, my older brother falling off the monkey bars and breaking an arm at 5, and me breaking a nose at 7 by flying off a 60s swing set glider (riding it on my belly). Images of the log swing in action show children overloading the beam up to 14 kids deep, while others reveal that some youngsters rode the oscillating piling of doom surfboard-style. See the vintage toy sets that started it all, These popular 1950s bathroom color schemes are the epitome of mid-century suburban decor, Easy fondue recipe fun! An article in the Journal of Accident Analysis and Prevention noted that kids were twice as likely to sustain injuries if the drop is over 5 feet. Top 15 Dangerous Playgrounds- history in pictures - Museum Facts I remember playing on a 60s era rocket slide back then too. Fun set of pictures, thanks! Unfortunately, that runs smack into our culture's habit of underestimating kids, overestimating danger, and hiring trial lawyers. However, it is very rare to find this natural possibility within a play area. Or back out of it?). I was laughing because on my birthday park outing I got hit in the forehead with the end of one of these and vividly remember the goose egg. Tulley should know. we immediately think of the clacking balls ona Newtons Cradle toy: (Top photo from the Seattle Municipal Archives Collection). ALSO SEE:Antique toys: See what kids played with a long time ago and that people collect now, You dont often see these pieces of old-fashioned playground equipment much today at least not used as shown here, bare feet and all. Certainly, we dont want to go back in time to the unsupervised barrel but neither do we want to insulate children from all risk-or fun. Emma Camp Nope, not at all. Now, perhaps it's up to us to let our kids play with a bit more abandon, and be willing to encourage them to test themselves, even if it means failing and falling. But back in the day, playground proprietors combined both into one. Are we over-regulating our playgrounds? Are health and safety rules Todays medical personnel would categorize a plunge from the top of this piece of equipment as a major fall.. Then check out these people in the 1920s taking it to the next level. But there were always one or two jocks who could do it with ease and show off. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. By Taryn Toro. Last picture of a two-page spread in the 1976-1977 yearbook. The other kids acted quickly, though, and pulled him up possibly saving his life. If scaling the Triitopia looks risky, that is the point: built in 2018, the climbing tower in Berlin-Frohnaus Ludwig Lesser Park is emblematic of a trend that has accelerated in Germany over the last five years. Thank you for the pictures. "This is fantastic progress in understanding childhood as the right time for children to learn to recognize and mitigate risk," says Gever Tulley. A dream-come-true vintage playhouse for the backyard: Creativity from the '60s, See 30 photos of daredevil skyscraper construction workers hanging out at dizzying heights over New York City, Say, Say, Oh Playmate: We traced the story of this old song and hand clapping game, and have the lyrics, 50 colorful vintage banana seat bikes for kids from the '60s & '70s. Do you go outside? Dont be surprised however, if the comments section is full of people talking about how dangerous that old equipment was. par | Juil 2, 2022 | handbook of discourse analysis | Juil 2, 2022 | handbook of discourse analysis With equipment that made a mockery of the universal conditions of gravity and physics, the schoolyards of the early 20th century were a treacherous labyrinth of concussion and contusion. Except for a short metal wall surrounding the platform, it was all open on top. General Playground Equipments Fire Chief Pyramid-Type Climbing Structure was from the pre-lawsuit heyday and considered a top-of-the-line attraction in 1940. I did a lot of research, and also spent plenty of time on hot slides and huge jungle gyms. 'The spongy surface really just teaches them that the ground is soft, which, of course, it's not. Now more kids go play on construction sites, because modern playgrounds offer no stimulation physically or creativity-wise when used correctly. But that doesnt negate the premise of the story. In 1978, a young boy in Chicago was severely injured in a fall after slipping through the railing atop a 12-foot slide. . Indeed in part, they made it a better place by replacing some of this scary old playground equipment like the slideless slides and the spinning barrels with what has evolved into the brightly-colored plastic playgrounds of today. Most areas had that wonderful tree bark surface which cushioned the fall but made for really hot & dry conditions. Unlike the North American standardcookie-cutter tubes, swings, monkey bars, and slides in splashes of primary coloursthese playgrounds avoid a safety-first mentality in favour of fostering experimental . The other was the teeter totter. Outstanding photos! That injury has aggravated him his entire life. To be fair, playgrounds changed because of a lawsuit in the early 70s. On the Medart Ocean Wave (With an Undulating and Wavelike Motion) you could sit facing in or out or stand on this spinner from the mid-20s. His family was awarded $15 million. That's music to an actuaries' earsand also to some parents. KIds were definitely stronger and tougher back then. Risk exposure can also make them safer psychologically and physically. I remember being thrown off of a merry-go-round many times, and learning how to fall properly to avoid injury. "Playgrounds are islands of free movement in a dangerous motorised environment," says Prof Rolf Schwarz of Karlsruhe University of Education, who advises councils and playground designers.. Water play equipment from Richter Spielgerte GmbH| Richter Spielgerte See vintage ride-on spring horse toys from the 50s to the 80s, Check out these 36 vintage metal swing sets that offered backyard fun for kids, The 1920s lingerie revolution: How women ditched corsets for comfort and freedom, Photos with Santa from decades ago dont really look all that different, See old 1920s Dodge cars from Dodge Brothers, 30 retro-futuristic space-age inventions, including several were still waiting for. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. A delightful device for the smaller children, particularly, and one that is thoroughly safe. Are Playgrounds Too Safe? Some Play Specialists Say Yes | Here & Now - WBUR That doesnt make it a good parenting strategy. His family sued the park district and the slide manufacturer, prompting the city's park district to get rid of such slides. After all, we are the lucky ones. I grew up with metal slides and steel jungle gyms and I was just fine. Germany is often perceived to be a politically and economically risk-averse nation, where everyday life is regulated by a strict regime of rules and regulations. The ones that I dont see now definitely existed when I was a kid 15 years ago. An eye bolt is put through the arm about three inches from the end, from which the ropes are dropped to within three feet of the ground. Swings are responsible for the most injuries on home playgrounds, while climbing apparatus is the most dangerous equipment on public playgrounds. Sure, we dont want playgrounds so dangerous they regularly cause injury, but, at the same time, is not life about using your freedom and taking individual risks? Perhaps todays children are being deprived of important lessons. Skinned knees and bruises only last a while. Yet, when it comes to playgrounds, the stereotype is misleading: here, its the strict policing of standards that enables a risk-accepting culture in the first place.