ALSO SEE: Vintage Erector Sets were toys that made toys: See old sets & find out their history. Since this site is all about Americana, it seems fair enough to reflect the history and perspectives of Americans, does it not? Little girls play with ropes, without parental supervision or padding. Theres a realisation [in the UK] that playgrounds have become too sanitised: if you look at them only as a series of potential hazards, you are missing something important., Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Giving maximum play area per dollar, the General Playground catalog offered the tallest version of the Fire Chief at the price of $178.. 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. Learn how your comment data is processed. This won't come as a huge surprise to any toddler parents out there, but falls account for over 75 percent of all playground-related injuries, per the Children's Safety Network. 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. german playground dangerous. Thats one reason why we always wore blue jeans when going to the park. I broke my right arm on a Witches Hat when I was 10 or 11 in 1956-57. Sorry lady, just because it didnt happen to you, or in front of you, doesnt mean it didnt happen fairly regularly to others. I once took refuge in that structure while having to walk home from school in a snowstorm. I read a fascinating article from the Atlantic a few years ago called The Overprotected Kid that there are actually more playground injuries today than pre-1980s because kids had to learn to be more careful when playing on concrete and asphalt. But there were always one or two jocks who could do it with ease and show off. It is hard to believe children would get very much exercise on the plastic equipment pictured above let alone have much fun. The object should not be affected by this motion at all." Dantonio, who was featured on last month's Syfy Channel documentary, " Aliens on the Moon: The Truth Exposed ," told The Huffington Post in an email that the triangular object in this Germany video should appear to move smoothly through the sky. July 6, 2022 My friend Siobhan is a New York native who moved to Germany. Inside Prince Harry's finances from when he met Meghan Markle to landing 100M with Netflix and book Spare Royally hard work! Find out more here. Its fascinating to look at the old playgrounds and how adventurous they were. Single mother faces 170 parking fine after overstaying at McDonald's for just 14 minutes while she treated Learning the ropes: why Germany is building risk into its playgrounds | Germany | The Guardian, Do not sell or share my personal information. Its safety objectives were set out on a mere eight pages. Yes! Sitting was the safe way to ride, but standing was often the norm when no adults were looking. On the girls playground, Harriet Island, St. Paul, Minnesota, the girls had to swing high. This, the high-circulation German magazine declares, "is precisely the great risk" as such people are just as dangerous if not more so as gangs of Nazi skinheads. And that's a long way to fall. There were no lawsuits are calls to tear down the equipment. Development of the company I remember the jungle gym in the first grade, at lease once a week this one girl would hang upside down about six off the ground. Naomi is a playground designer focused on . 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. Very similar to the catalog page above, this huge, sprawling metal structure is part of the Hiawatha Playground in Seattle. Playground equipment in Germany is certified by the TV, the same association that provides German drivers with the equivalent of an MOT or certificate of roadworthiness for vehicles. O dear Lord those playgrounds were killer! Worth a visit, especially with children. To be honest I rarely see kids play on the modern playgrounds. ago. Just wanted to say your comment sounds very cool. Up to 40 children could ride while this structure simultaneously rotated and oscillated. The playground which consists of large bluestone climbable boulders, a metal slide, and a drinking fountain, all situated on platforms with wheels opened today on the corner of Southbank Boulevard and Kavanagh Street in Southbank. You just took a bunch of old photos of kids playing happily and turned it into an article of complaint. Video. Sorry, Ronald, in the words of the immortal Brad Upton, Know what happened to the dumb ones? Fun set of pictures, thanks! With young people spending an increasing amount of time in their own home, the umbrella association of statutory accident insurers in Germany last year called for more playgrounds that teach children to develop risk competence. Here's how one of these playgrounds looked minus the kids. Would that work on the plastic slide to make it slicker? ClickAmericana.com is made with and by Synchronista LLC 2011-2022. There are many types of critters to watch out for on playgrounds, such as bees, German cockroaches, snakes, and other pests. Way up. They didnt make it.. I do think, however, that there is a reason playground safety has evolved over time (although, of course, injuries still happen today). The first thing that caught our eye in the photos up there is this thing: parallel poles pretending to be a slide. They survived and so did the boomers after. Biden Embraces the Fearmongering, Vows To Squash D.C.'s Mild Criminal Justice Reforms, The Flap Over Biden's Comment About 2 Fentanyl Deaths Obscures Prohibition's Role in Causing Them, Conservatives Turn Further Against WarExcept Maybe With Mexico. They would rather find a nice ditch and play with some bricks and wooden lats than slide down the 5 feet plastic slides twice in a row. Not so shipshape! According to the research, primary-age children in Britain are generally not permitted to play outside unsupervised until age 11, while their parents' generation was able to do so at age nine. Back in the day, kids play on a playground. His family sued the park district and the slide manufacturer, prompting the city's park district to get rid of such slides. When it was very hot, we sat on an old towel or rag of some sort and to keep it slick we sat on a waxy bread wrapper or some waxed paper before sliding down. Its even worse if the wood is cheap and not cured properly. Each year, about 200,000 children end up with playground injuries serious enough to land them in the emergency room. Welcome to the Coronation! All sorts of stunts, too numerous to mention, may be performed on this apparatus, says the 1929 catalog. A delightful device for the smaller children, particularly, and one that is thoroughly safe. I do think kids are too wrapped up in bubble wrap today. When we design new playground structures, we try to build in challenges: an obstacle, for example, that a child may fail to overcome the first nine times but then manages at the tenth attempt., The aim is to allow the greatest amount of freedom while guaranteeing the greatest amount of safety. Once up top, you exited the tube through another oval shaped hole and could walk around a circular platform that went around the outside of the rocket till you got to the slide. Dec 26, 2016 - Berlin's playgrounds are some of the most physically challenging in the world, and German parents are fine with that. Let us look at the Top 15 Dangerous Playgrounds- history in pictures. Denise Brown, Manager of the Berkeley Adventure Playground in California (pictured right), told NPR in an interview: Tulley should know. The seat was retrieved by the next hearty soul with the help of a rope. Easy nearby parking. Lenore Skenazy Slectionner une page. 'If we want children to be prepared for risk, we need to allow them to come into contact with risk,' said the professor who works with councils and playground designers to develop challenging obstacles. Take average children, brimful of the primal instinct to develop through play, provide for them proper playgrounds fitted with modern playground equipment; and tomorrow, they will step forth vigorous, healthy, clear-thinking men and women to make the world a better place to live in.. Required fields are marked *. That's quite the slide. 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The heights. The idea, of . Many of the items in your list still exist in the UK and Europe! A kid could easily climb out and hang off the side (which we sometimes did!) You pulled on the wheel to spin the bench, and boy, could you really spin fast! Keen to get away from the neighbours? I grew up with those also,they were great fun. I had 5 big brothers so I am sure I flew plenty!! German playgrounds are in international demand. But that doesnt negate the premise of the story. November 04, 2021. "Its path, however, indicates anything but. Furthermore, a study by non-profit Studioludo that compared parks in England and the US found adventure parks were both more popular among kids (55 percent more so) and also encouraged higher activity rates among visiting children of 1618 percent when compared with fixed-equipment playgrounds. The playground equipment taught us to be more thoughtful and to think at least one step ahead. Strasser bristled at the mention of the low platforms surrounded by rubber matting that are still ubiquitous in British and American playgrounds. The only accident more serious than a scrape that I ever heard of was someone fell from the top of the slippery slide and broke their arm. Description. Still like a good swing in my 70s. 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. That injury has aggravated him his entire life. How interesting! This old piece which looks kind of like giant knitting needles functioned like a teeter-totter, except you hung on from below instead of sitting on it. But, at least the injuries on playgrounds today are minor. We had a blast had no idea the danger we were exposed toand yes, drinking from water hoses!! Teen Suspect Arrested In Murder of Texas Mother Killed While Visiting Her Son's Grave Colleen Dilthey Thomas 00:00 / 00:00 These photo from the early 1900s showing a bunch of kids playing on sprawling steel pole playground equipment at Pittsburgh Pennsylvanias Mount Washington Park pretty much epitomize the risky business of play just over a hundred years ago. Our grade school playground had a spinner that could go so fast no one could stay on it. It swings backward and forward with a sweeping and slightly rising and dipping motion that the children like set in motion by the riders themselves, by pulling and pushing against the supporting arms., ALSO SEE:Rolling hoops used to be the coolest toys around. We asked the experts - and their answers will terrify you Five unexpected signs in your 20s and 30s you're at risk of developing heart disease later in life. A playground on Harriet Island, St. Paul, Minnesota. Water play. Those tall metal slides were still around in the 80s. I agree that an article about the history of the playground would be a good thing to have on the site but that is not what this story was intended to be. Early iterations were often called the Witches Hat. Once a climbing frame has got past the TV, however, manufacturers can use the certificate to defend themselves in court against lawsuits relating to accidents. An intellectual tradition of thinking seriously about play, and versatile gaps in urban landscapes after the second world war mean Germany has a history of experimental play areas: many cities have junk playgrounds, such as Berlins Kolle 37, where children can build their own structures and parents are allowed to enter only one day a week. The holy trinity of playgrounds swing, seesaw and slide is in decline, says Steffen Strasser of Playparc, one of about 60 German manufacturers who do not only supply the countrys estimated 120,000 playgrounds but export around the world. An. You see it hosting about 40 kids who were up to all kinds of crazy shenanigans including just hanging out 20 feet above the ground. 7. slide 1 to 4 of 37. Even with a soft landing in four feet of water, calling this monument to mirth a safety swing might be a bit of a stretch. The Most Dangerous Playground Equipment Rated for Doom Written by OwnPlayground Team Playgrounds can be excellent, but can also lead to some serious injuries if not appropriately monitored. The National Playground Safety Institute (NPSI), a program developed under the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), identified twelve of the leading causes of injury on playgrounds known as "The Dirty Dozen."These dangers include improper protective surfacing, inadequate use zones, and . 3.3.2023 5:45 PM, Jacob Sullum Im 73 years old and recognize some of these, although many are from my grandparents time. etc.! Outstanding photos! One of my favorite stunts was to climb one of the 12 tall pipes on the swing set and sit on top. A big Beckham birthday! 'The reason that they have accidents sometimes is because there's a lot of adults around who are very cautious and nervous and keep telling them to be careful and watch out.'. Nope, not at all. Source: Photos courtesy the US Library of Congress, vintage editions of The Playground magazine, antique manufacturer catalogs and as otherwise noted. Insurance companies in the UK have taken a different approach by refusing to insure playgrounds deemed too 'high-risk' to avoid the cost of paying out on accidents. Shame on you. It's important to note that there is no mention of cultural enrichment in this documentary. In the spiderweb inside the structure, the maximum fall height is 1.8 metres. Sure, the ground was just dirt, but that was probably safer than concrete. A few of the violent youngsters shown in the included video clips appear to be ethnic Europeans. As such, I am entitled to an opinion. Now heres the same kind of old-school structure as shown above, but at this old playground in Boston, it was made out of wood. | Perhaps this is the reason the Greatest Generation won WWII we were tough and not afraid of anything. The whole thing was maybe six feet at the tallest point. Professor Rolf Schwarz of Karlsruhe University of Education, argues that 'safe' playgrounds prevent kids from learning how to handle risk in the early. The Triitopia tower is encased with boards and netting to ensure no child can take a tumble from a height above three metres. In 1978, a young boy in Chicago was severely injured in a fall after slipping through the railing atop a 12-foot slide. Falls are a . Playground designers are already up for the task. 3.4.2023 8:00 AM, Reason Staff Are we teaching kids that others are responsible for what they do? Unsubscribe. Two German designers, Claudio Rimmele and Martin Binder, have invented a design for a playground that is safe for children during the coronavirus pandemic. However, we had a solution to the problem; us boys would take our shirts off and slide down on our shirts. ', The British Children's Play Survey revealed earlier this year that British society is becoming more protective of children, at a detriment to their ability to manage risk and their overall mental and physical health (pictured: safe play equipment in Wiltshire, UK). 'We are seeing children getting towards the end of their primary school years without having had enough opportunities to develop their ability to assess and manage risk independently. As late as the 1990s, kids could climb a 30-foot metal slide and really get some speed, not to mention some burns as they sped along that sun-roasted metal [PDF]. According to the 1930 catalog, the bather released the swing with a foot pedal and swooped along the waves, pausing at the top of the arc before being hurdled forward. It sort of looks like a minimalist Ikea version of a play structure. Their results, published in 2018, found that while the occurrence of injuries was quite rare, a 'statistically significant majority of them' took part in a playground where the equipment was fixed and seen as 'safer' vs an adventure playground with more dangerous and wobbly equipment. We also had the rings and tall swing sets (which were fun) from which most boys would compete to see who could launch and fly the farthest. I run a memory program for aging seniors and they LOVE to talk about the playgrounds from the old days. Spin it faster!. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Playscapes' friend Lianne sent through this climbing thicket in Munich German as a follow-on to the Florian Aigner post; she says it is at the intersection of Untersbergstrae & Weienseestrae in Munich. This article was so fun to read and I love the pictures! Why, yes. Meanwhile, the British Children's Play Survey revealed earlier this year that British society is becoming more protective of children, at a detriment to their ability to manage risk and their overall mental and physical health. Cyber's War Collection. The Panzer 38(t), originally designated as the KD LT vz. RM 2C5WKJE - Three children, siblings comprising a girl and two boys sitting on a park feature hedgehog, Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen in the 1960s Parents are not allowed inside, and they typically drop the kids and go for a walk or a coffee. Note: ClickAmericana.com features authentic historical information, and is not intended to represent current best practices on any topic, particularly with regard to health and safety. This emphasis prevailed in schools and parks for older children into the 21st century. All girls wore skirts to school then, the teachers would freak, take her inside, give her a couple of swats and make her stay inside for the rest of the day. Thanks for the memories. When the girls hung by their knees on a bar no one could see anything but clothing. It sounds like we read the same research on Adventure Playgrounds! Germany has the best playgrounds. ALSO SEE: Remember the fun of an old-fashioned treehouse? Even insurance companies agree. I used to play on a swing set that had two swings that spun around a center pole. This was a fun read. Interestingly, I find it somewhat ironic that many people I talk with who are avid Darwinists are also staunchly against any type of playground equipment that could possibly injure a child in any way whatsoever. See 20 forts built upon branches. The worst example was in Jr. High when kids all had to climb the wooden pegboard or burlap rope up to the 50 ft ceiling. Neuland-Park 65 Parks Playgrounds By Hawen12 Has big events too. Id love to see the 50s-70s offerings, too. You can survive serious burns, doesnt mean theyre safe. The concept was like other spinners with kid-powered motion, except this required the boys and girls to make it move by using the pedals. They often say with a smile, I dont know how we survived. The heights. (They were actually called incline poles or sliding poles.). Same idea of a wood tangle but with a more rustic treatment of the wood member and a different sort of attachment to the - Read the rest. They'd then run around the pole, leaping and swinging through the air. Was the above photo too tame? I'm a vet, and here are five dog breeds most prone to cancer - including Golden Retrievers and Rottweilers, Prince Andrew chuckles as he encounters female jogger on way to his weekly Windsor horse-riding trip. There is some research showing that contemporary playgrounds are so safe that children are injured trying to eke out risk from them.