Our Extremities are the Lord's Opportunities: Playgrounds: A New Perspective

As any parent would probably tell you, one’s viewpoint of a playground changes once one has children. I now often wonder how many almost heart attacks I gave my mother on a playground. After all, I was not the child that serenely swung on the swings, climbed the round-monkey-bar-thingies or used any form of bar or four-inch wall/curb/whatever for it’s original purpose. I was the child who dreamt of being Mary Lou Retton. Which meant bars were meant to be flipped upon, walls were meant to be cartwheeled upon and open areas in general were for floor exercises. It’s amazing I didn’t land on my head hanging upside down and break something.

Of course, playgrounds have changed dramatically in the last thirty years or so. Rarely do you find screws readily available for infections of tetanus. In fact, metal slides are almost extinct. Swings no longer have bars which might enable one to climb all the way up and dangle like a monkey. Merry-go-rounds are on the endangered list. For that matter, playground equipment that isn’t a master playscape is rather rare. But, in reality, I don’t think the dangers of play have changed. If it can be climbed, it can be fallen from.

But I’ve also come to look at playgrounds through the eyes of my work. I work for a landscape architecture firm and some of the designers/architects specialize in playgrounds. A couple of them even hold licenses as playground inspectors. Having looked at pictures of available playground equipment, seen specs on newer designs and read through surveys on what communities like and dislike in play areas; I’ve come to realize that a lot of thought goes into a playground. Some of it makes sense. Some of it seems rather silly.

For instance, in recent months I have taken the kids to a play area I really like but has what I would define as a retaining wall right in the midst of the playground. And what does my son want to play on? The wall, of course! And as I walk back and forth next to him in order to catch his little self should he fall, I wonder how a wall like that passed inspection. Because every child that walks into the play area is going to climb it. And if they’re Mary-Lou-Retton-wannabes, turn cartwheels on it. And how is that even remotely safe?

Landscape architects are also over-the-top environmentally conscious. So, one of them recently sent around a link to a “natural” play area recently opened just west of Houston. It included nature trails, little water falls throughout the flowing brook, swamp area, and a place with markers for skipping stones. The purpose, the designer said, is to get children to enjoy nature because kids aren’t “taught” to do that anymore. Maybe in inner-cities, but I certainly haven’t had to “teach” my children to enjoy nature. If there is water about, they want to splash in it. If there are rocks to be tossed, they want to throw them. And if there are leaves and sticks to pick up, we come home with a collection. Another of our architects responded that he couldn’t believe that passed inspection. Some child would fall into the water and drown. Mosquitoes would come bringing West Nile Virus and what about all the rats that would want to live there which would then bring the snakes (which, in Texas, are very likely to be poisonous…not to mention water moccasins). He also didn’t add that, being Houston, it was very likely to be flooded by some hurricane. Otherwise, he added, it was great! Given all those thoughts, I’m not sure I’d take my kids there…

But playgrounds are still the favorite place for kids to go. My kids are forever asking to go to the “steps and slides” and Emry prays regularly for “steps and slides and swings” of her own like at Grandpa and Grandma’s house. And, as a parent who was more than careless on playgrounds in her childhood, I take a deep breath and let them be kids. (And stay really close to Ethan…) After all, the days on playgrounds will soon, sadly, pass. And a retaining wall for cartwheels will seem a 100 times safer than allowing them to drive the car!