Over the last few years, there has been a strange phenomenon sweeping Australia, similar to the eighties phenomenon of Crop Circles and a bit like that spooky new US TV series, The Leftovers. In leafy suburbs everywhere parents and kids have been left wondering where their playground equipment disappeared to overnight.
Interesting, fun and challenging equipment, such as witches' hats, rockets, roundabouts and monkey bars have been there one minute and gone the next. With no notice or fanfare. Occasionally a sign might be left saying they've "gone off to be repaired", never to return… sort of like the animals that "go to the farm" when they're old.
All that's left to keep the kids amused in our suburban playgrounds are sand pits, low-level ropewalks, a tiny wooden house or pretend pirate ship and a few swings.
What is going on? Sadly, safety standards and fear of litigation are ruining our kids' playgrounds and making them into overly safety-conscious, fun-free zones that may just about be challenging to toddlers, but not to any child over the age of three.
Australian Playground Safety Standards have been changing the design of children's play spaces to remove danger, risk and sadly fun has gone along with it.
While the Australian standard for playground equipment is not mandatory, it has become de facto compulsory, because compliance can be referred to in court action against child care centres, schools, restaurants and local councils.
But is it all going way too far? Are we taking all the fun out of our kids' environments in the name of "safety"? When we were young (I say we, I am 42 and assuming that the majority of parents reading this are somewhere between 30 and 50…) did we have more broken bones, playground accidents etc than kids do now? I don't remember every other child in my neighbourhood being carted off from the playground with broken bones every time they fell off a seesaw, witch's hat, or roundabouts.
Parents were pretty vigilant, but not overly so. Litigation hadn't really entered into everyday activity. People didn't actually sue authorities for a simple tumble off a climbing frame.
If you've been to Coogee in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs in the last few years you will have witnessed the most appalling waste of time and money in the redesign of the kids' playground at the south end of the beach. It took ages to build and everyone was really excited about its unveiling. That is until it was finished. It has virtually nothing in it. A spider's web is the highlight. And I am shocked that made it through, quite frankly.
Otherwise its ground level slides, undulating spongy mock tarmac flooring, a strange little boat (that actually is quite dangerous as it's made of very hard metal and has a very pointy end - at toddler head height), some swings and a bit of a frame to climb up - nice and low, just in case.
It is so BORING. The kids mainly end up hiding in bushes for entertainment, avoiding the playground entirely.
According to the bumph, The Australian Standards for Playgrounds have been developed to "provide guidelines for the design, installation, maintenance and operation of playgrounds. They are not intended to provide totally risk free environments".
They are apparently a minimum benchmark and not mandatory unless referenced in legislation or regulation. But they should be consulted by anyone planning, designing, building or maintaining a playground.
But it seems that councils are now so afraid of any child bumping their head, banging a knee or god forbid breaking an arm, that they don't dare leave any decent playground equipment in the playgrounds at all.
And we are largely to blame it has to be said. We have forgotten that a few bumps and bruises and broken arms and legs are all part of growing up. Playgrounds are supposed to be there to develop children's physical and mental abilities; to challenge them and give them a sense of risk in play. It's all part of growing up. Are we now raising a generation of wimpy, risk-averse kids who won't try anything new for fear of getting hurt? Is that responsible?
And what do the kids think about all this. It's BORING, that's what. Honestly there is no risk, no challenge, no FUN.
So bring back all the proper playground equipment. Sure, give the flooring some bounce and make things a bit softer perhaps, but don't take all the challenge out of play.
Comments
We'd love to hear what you think. Has your local playground equipment been disappearing?
Sophie Cross is a PR, writer, mum and soft touch when it comes to small furry animals. She grew up in the south-east of England, but has lived in France, Italy, Australia and in the beautiful Lecrin Valley (Valle de Lecrin), Andalucia. She has worked with CareforKids.com.au since 2006. She lives in Limpsfield, Surrey (UK), surrounded by pretty villages, the rolling hills of the North Downs and the delightfully picturesque M25! Read more by Sophie
