But that doesnt negate the premise of the story. Children playground 1960s Stock Photos and Images - Alamy It was rated to hold up to 40 kids or five tons. When you are looking out for broken glass and metal, do a quick sweep for other animals that could potentially harm your child. a medical journal wrote of some of the danger: Vintage playhouses & forts: Old-fashioned fun for kids, Antique toys: See what kids played with a long time ago and that people collect now, See what antique school supplies & educational materials were like in the olden days, Rolling hoops used to be the coolest toys around, Wonder horses! 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.. While our paranoid and litigious society boasts only a handful, Europe has hundreds, offering kids the opportunity to play with fire, use handsaws and sail across 50-foot zip lines. Just wanted to say your comment sounds very cool. 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. "Even international safety standards organizationsso often the 'fun police' when it comes to playgroundsare coming round to a more balanced, pro-risk view," says Tim Gill, author of Urban Playgrounds: How Child-Friendly Planning and Design Can Save Cities. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. Shame on you. But, at least the injuries on playgrounds today are minor. Thanks for your feedback, and Im sorry you didnt like this article content. My heart was in my throat as I eavesdropped on the other parents at pick-up the following day. 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. german playground dangerous. Great compilation! Awesome 80s cereal, including old brands & cool flavors you probably forgot! Spielpltze gefallen kleinen Kindern. Theres a version of this photo going around the internet, tagged with the suggestion that the kid on the far left is falling but hes not. Find out more here. 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. Germany has the best playgrounds. Moreover: 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". When water is required for playing, a stream is the most beautiful source. best platform games ranked; which is more expensive honda civic or accord; once upon a thyme chehalis menu; a dental assistant registration may be revoked Sign in Home (Millenniums lol). Thank you, Click Americana, for creating this very interesting page. In the early 90s we lived in a community that had a park with a log playset, and one of the logs had rotted away. Falls are a . Use equipment properly slide feet-first, don't climb outside guardrails, no standing on swings, etc. Yes, I do. Professor Rolf Schwarz of Karlsruhe University of Education, argues that 'safe' playgrounds prevent kids from learning how to handle risk in the early stages of their development. We can see no danger whatsoever from this kind of contraption. (And how did the kid in the flying rings get into that position?! I mean, how much fun, right? 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. March 12, 2020. by Naomi Heller. The study that changed everything. Some of its climbing structures are now three stories high. We had a blast had no idea the danger we were exposed toand yes, drinking from water hoses!! (They were actually called incline poles or sliding poles.). 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. And while the title may be slightly dramatic, many of these do NOT exist here in the US anymore, and havent for at least 25 years. I remember playing on a 60s era rocket slide back then too. To Make Kids SaferMake Playgrounds Riskier! - Let Grow First, though, its important to note that on this site, I am not a news reporter I am a curator, editor, feature writer, and historical researcher. par | Juil 2, 2022 | handbook of discourse analysis | Juil 2, 2022 | handbook of discourse analysis You probably werent even there, so how would you know. Gutfeld. Ironically, "safety" culture is stunting kids' risk assessing abilities, in their estimation. Below, take a look back at the fun and games that children got up to during the 20th century in the unsafe playground days long before plastic slides, rubber mats and safety rails (not to mention government guidelines and personal injury lawsuits) were commonplace. That's only because all of the merry-go-rounds, and see-saws, and monkey bars have already been uprooted. However, it is very rare to find this natural possibility within a play area. You can survive serious burns, doesnt mean theyre safe. They often say with a smile, I dont know how we survived. The heights. This article may be worth a skim: The Fallacy of the I Turned Out Fine Argument: You didnt use seatbelts when you were growing up and you lived to tell about it? 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. ', This climbing tower, built in 2018 in Ludwig Lesser Park in Berlin, is an example of a growing trend of new playgrounds designed to force kids to conquer difficult obstacles while managing risk, TheLudwig Lesser Park still has some play areas that are less dangerous intended for small children, but more play parks in Germany are being built with danger in mind. Even so, Germanys dizzying climbing towers could soon become blueprints for playgrounds in Britain and the US. From the April 2023 issue, Billy Binion I remember merry go rounds that would go so fast that when the big kid pushed it around you would vomit like a sprinkler as it went around the spray now hiting the big kid My mom said to him you should have known better , she also would kick off big kids off the swing calling them a swing bullys at home In playing Superman I would jump off the garage roof when my knee hit me in the nose i learned to keep my knees apart also I did a back flip off the pool I hit the my head on the coping I saw a kid jump from trampoline to trampoline missing the jump short only to jump between the springs ouch you publish stories of dare devil kids and how they survived You can have mine to share let me know I played chicken at the roller rink skating backwards with someone then collide with him because I wasnt chicken he drove his roller skates over my face My wife was crying I said why are you crying I won !!! Falls. Emma Camp We are trying see if we can afford a rope jungle gym nearly 10 metres high (33foot?). While the splinters would disappear thanks to a shift from wood to metal and plastic, in 1995, McDonalds was forced to finance a $5 million dollar child-safety campaign after the Consumer Products Safety Commission deemed the rides responsible for 104 childrens injuries in the 80s. I entered school at age 5, in 1939, and most girls in the country school wore bloomers made out of flour sacks. Fast forward to the Bronx in the 40s, and we see what it looks like to get about 100 kids on a jungle gym. Description. This was apparently a popular configuration for a swingset sorry, we mean a heavy-duty outdoor gymnasium. (Not even gonna comment on what the split clamp fittings may or may not do.). From 1918: Petrus Liljedahl, to whom THE PLAYGROUND is indebted for these pictures of home-made apparatus in use on the Lincoln School playgrounds at St. Up to 40 children could ride while this structure simultaneously rotated and oscillated. The best beach in Britain that you've never heard of: Seaside town is braced for tourism boom after Kate Garraway reveals Derek's heartbreaking words when they thought he had just minutes left to live. People Playground. Two pieces of equipment I would avoid was the merry go round, you would all jump on and of course one big kid would just keep it going around and around till you puked! 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. The Overprotected Kid - The Atlantic Over 100,000 German translations of English words and phrases. Skinned knees and bruises only last a while. The Panzer 38(t), originally designated as the KD LT vz. 1910 and ca. You can also get our free newsletter, follow us on Facebook & Pinterest. 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. Its fascinating to look at the old playgrounds and how adventurous they were. German translation of 'dangerous' - Collins Dictionary Are we teaching kids that others are responsible for what they do? This one was new to us which means it was either incredibly unpopular, or created so many injuries that it was made to disappear. German playgrounds - Export hits - DW - 09/25/2012 We also had a long metal slide (which got really fast when kids used the wax paper used to wrap sandwiches on it!) The Most Dangerous Playground Equipment Rated for Doom Here is what they were up way up to back in 1900-1910 at Trinity Play Park in Dallas, Texas. For example, the Giant Stride was pretty common, but its name is only visible in the caption for one of the old photos. Well done, and very interesting to read. Monkey bars and seesaws are both on their way out of most American playgrounds because they're seen as too perilous by concerned doctors and traumatized parents. Strasser bristled at the mention of the low platforms surrounded by rubber matting that are still ubiquitous in British and American playgrounds. Last picture of a two-page spread in the 1976-1977 yearbook. But the trees had been polished so they were slippery.". My friend Siobhan is a New York native who moved to Germany. November 04, 2021. Thanks for the memories. 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. This was a fun read. The idea of the playground as a method for imbuing children with a sense of fair play and good manners originated in Germany where playgrounds were erected in connection to schools. At the same time, can we really protect kids from every danger or risk? 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. It sort of looks like a minimalist Ikea version of a play structure. The ones that I dont see now definitely existed when I was a kid 15 years ago. Would you let your kids loose in this playground? Sorry lady, just because it didnt happen to you, or in front of you, doesnt mean it didnt happen fairly regularly to others. ', 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). Now more kids go play on construction sites, because modern playgrounds offer no stimulation physically or creativity-wise when used correctly. It's important to note that there is no mention of cultural enrichment in this documentary. Im glad I stumbled across this site while searching for something else! These spinny things ended up lasting and being loved for decades. Also, if you didnt like the subject matter, feel free to write an article that is more pleasing to you. Defined in addition to minimum requirements for rails and barriers were maximum fall heights and the form of impact attenuation material required under equipment. Another key part of playground safety: Kids must know how to be safe and act responsibly at the playground. It was community-designed and built with donated materials, if I recall correctly. Many of the items in your list still exist in the UK and Europe! The danger of making playgrounds too safe - ABC Everyday It was great fun and we learned to hang on. As such, I am entitled to an opinion. Cyber's War Collection. Boomer parents believed it was too dangerous for the kids they raised. Tail end of the BOOMERS here am so glad I didnt miss the adventure! There were no lawsuits are calls to tear down the equipment. Parents can try to keep up with their young mountaineers as they ascend through the rope spiderweb, but they might get left behind in the tightly woven mesh. The big problem with wood log play equipment is that it rots within a relatively short period of time making it not only dangerous and unstable, but expensive to repair. That one kid swinging way back looks ready to land in the neighbors backyard. | But there were always one or two jocks who could do it with ease and show off. Huge old outdoor public swimming pools like these made summertime cool for everyone 100 years ago, Vintage Erector Sets were toys that made toys: See old sets & find out their history, Remember the fun of an old-fashioned treehouse? Some chilling ideas for childrens fun here! Nope, not at all. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Covered as much as shorts under dresses do now. See vintage ride-on spring horse toys from the 50s to the 80s. This playground contraption, built by Everwear Manufacturing Company, looked reminiscent of a teeter totterexcept it had the unique ability to leap forward (or backward) and whack its unsuspecting victims. Which way you faced just depended on whether you wanted to throw up on bystanders, or on the other people on the ride with you. You pulled on the wheel to spin the bench, and boy, could you really spin fast! Humanitarians saw playgrounds as the solution to cramped quarters, poor air quality, and social isolation. The initial version of German standard DIN 7926 - Playground equipment appeared in December 1976. I remember nearly getting horizontal and using centrifugal force its amazing no one was killed, do recall a few injuries. It was so high that it smelled musty up there! 11 items. German Playground Concept Enforces Social Distancing for Safety And there were always those kids who seemed to enjoy getting rope burns when they slid down. I spent many happy hours on playground equipment like jungle gyms, swings, teeter-totters, maypoles, and merry-go-rounds. Todays playgrounds by comparison seem sterile- safe, but boring as heck. savannah st patrick's day festival 2022; in the juvenile justice system, where is the emphasis? It also means our ancestors had to successfully navigate the old playgrounds at school and the parks, surviving all manner of swings, spinners, slides, jungle gyms and other old-school vintage play equipment. Sure, the ground was just dirt, but that was probably safer than concrete. Way up. It sort of looks like a minimalist Ikea version of a play structure. | ClickAmericana.com is made with and by Synchronista LLC 2011-2022. 3.3.2023 4:50 PM, 2022 Reason Foundation | (This phenomenon is also seen above. 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. This article was great! From my elementary school, which just closed. Early iterations were often called the Witches Hat. The slide itself spiraled around the structure and the sliding surface of it looked like 1/2 inch metal tubes welded together. Unfortunately that option wasnt available to the girls. Easy nearby parking. The other was the teeter totter. Teen Suspect Arrested In Murder of Texas Mother Killed While Visiting Her Son's Grave Colleen Dilthey Thomas 00:00 / 00:00 'When you are feeling insecure, you are also extra careful. And a teeter-totter was as much fun to walk, or run, up and then down, as it was to actually use it correctly. Dangerous Playground EP | TV Smith | Boss Tuneage We see what the equipment is, but were still not sure what this one kid is doing or why. 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. Or, as a German insurance exec might put it, a risk-ignorance breeding ground. And climb up. I remember spending recess on an abomination of a playground with big wood posts that would give . They were flat boards, on long chains, that you could jump from at the apex of your swing. And who is requesting this? Examples of these rides could be found up through the 1980s. THE 10 BEST Germany Playgrounds (with Photos) - Tripadvisor What's the odd broken bone? The deliberately DANGEROUS German In 1978, a young boy in Chicago was severely injured in a fall after slipping through the railing atop a 12-foot slide. , PS: If you liked this article, please share it! They're so good at it, they even have categories of Spielplatz (playground): Bauspielplatz (building playground), Naturspielplatz (natural playground), Wasserspielplatz ( water playground) and the most promising sounding, the Abenteuerspielplatz (adventure playground). It was common to pose like that for class photos or group photos. slide 1 to 4 of 37. That sounds less like a fun thing to play on at recess, and more like a splinter delivery device. Though somewhat rare, playground balance barrels still exist today, but they are nearly always situated above a bed of soft wood chips, built lower to the ground, and equipped with helpful handles to keep the user from taking a header. To me the staying inside was the worst part, but then the next week she would do it again. Each year, about 200,000 children end up with playground injuries serious enough to land them in the emergency room. Insurer Zurich Municipal in 2019 withdrew its cover from several of Britain's adventure play parks, blaming the move on an increase in the number and cost of claims arising from play-related accidents. 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. I always wonder why we pass around the, your grandparents didnt need seatbelts meme. Fun set of pictures, thanks! Slectionner une page. A playground on Harriet Island, St. Paul, Minnesota. The following video from Germany is disturbingly brutal. If the swingers managed to all work together, it was probably a lot of funbut there's no doubt a fair amount of collisions were happening, whether on purpose or from lack of coordination. That's music to an actuaries' earsand also to some parents'. The Junglegym No. If you look closely enough, though, you can see ropes or chains that prove hes just on a swing. Play:ground NYC's research suggests that children are better than we think at assessing risk, while Faulkner claimed that over sanitising and scrutinising kids could in fact cause more accidents. In my view, it is good that playgrounds are safer now but there are drawbacks to not allowing for the freedom of individual risk-taking. Neuland-Park 65 Parks Playgrounds By Hawen12 Has big events too. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. My friends and I would swing so high and hard the swing frame would start to come out of the ground. Rage and Brutality on German Playgrounds | Gates of Vienna '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.'. 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. A broken bone or strained muscle served as a leaning tool for the next time we were on the structure. So because YOU played on this equipment and were just fine, EVERYONE who played on it walked away uninjured? Just be glad you slipped through the cracks. This way of making a giant stride keeps the children far apart, the ropes seldom get tangled and it gives the children a much better swing., A similar version, with a long tree trunk as the center. Evolution of American Playgrounds - Scholarpedia He's founder of the San Francisco Brightworks School author of 50 Dangerous Things (You Should Let Your Children Do). German playgrounds are designed to be perilous to ensure kids learn how Two people would ride and a third would grab one of the swings inner chain and spin the swings by pulling from the center pole. The trade fair for leisure and sports facilities, taking place this week in Cologne, will give an impression of what such playgrounds could look like. 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. | The International Organisation for Standardisation is reviewing its standards for sports and recreational equipment, and could in the future encourage playground designers to consider not just the risks but the benefits of wobbly bridges, lopsided steps and tree-tall climbing frames. Of course, if youre a parent its understandable to want to keep your kids safe. Thanks for visiting and for supporting a small business! Why Won't Maryland Sell Me a Goddamn Beer? Additionally, it is imperative to have a small first aid kit on hand to treat common injuries .