Things You No Longer See On Playgrounds

by Austin Stanfel Building a Foundation for the Future

Play is essential to the development of a growing child. Studies have shown that play not only helps develop the physical attributes of a child but can have a significant effect on the mental development of the child as well. As a result of this finding, parents are advised to not only allow their children to play regularly but to encourage them to develop healthy play habits actively.

Since the home is usually too small for a child to play, and there are a lot of appliances and equipment which are not only in harm's way from the child but can prove to be very dangerous to the child as well. The playground provides the perfect play location, giving your child sufficient space and access to equipment that is designed to stimulate the child's mental development. Playgrounds also have the added advantage of exposing the children to socialization. When children play at home, they usually do so alone, which is not a good practice as it affects a child's mental health. But on a playground equipment for schools, there are other children present, and the children interact and play with each other. Thanks to these factors, playgrounds are the premier destination for children to play. Parents tend to take their children to playgrounds frequently, to ensure that they get the appropriate amount of playtime necessary, and to stimulate their mental growth. Thanks to the increase in the number of children visiting playgrounds daily, security is now of the utmost concern. More security-conscious practices are being employed to ensure that the children safe during their visits to the playground.

Security practices have led to changes in a lot of features on playgrounds. Playgrounds today are a lot different from the playgrounds that existed 30years ago. Some of the most notable changes observable includes:

❖ Merry-go-rounds: At one point, this was the most characteristic feature of all playgrounds, and children loved it. The merry-go-round would spin with children holding on tight and screaming in excitement. While children had fun on this ride, injuries were a widespread occurrence, and in some cases, broken bones were reported. Due to this development, merry-go-rounds are no longer a feature of playgrounds.

❖ Metal slides: Slides are always fun as children let gravity move them from one point to the other. The slides are slanted tunnels with children going in one end and exiting at the other. Metal rusts and rusted metals can injure children with a high risk of infection. Slides are still prevalent in playgrounds, but they have been replaced with plastic models, which carry less chance of injury.

❖ Metal and wooden swings: These swings were also prevalent once upon a time. The children alternated positions on the swings, first pushing other children, before being pushed themselves, to swing as high as possible. The metal rust and wood breaks, creating injury hazards and can cause some terrible injuries. Due to rising safety concerns, metal and wooden swings were replaced with plastic swings.

The playgrounds now seem a lot safer than before, and the children still have as much fun as they used to. playground equipment names