In this blog there has been the persistent viewpoint that most of contemporary children's playgrounds are a visual and experiential disaster. Ugly, no fun and without any danger. Three negatives from a child's point of view and from the point of view of a grandfather who has to entertain kids.
I finally saw a simple, inexpensive and brilliant alternative.
What I saw is the kind of indoor equipment that is being used in Parkour training classes.
I cannot define Parkour. It does have a history. It does have training schools. But for anyone who, like me, was an over energized kid it is nothing more than being an over energized kid in any reasonable environment.
What changed my mind about children's playgrounds was watching children from age 3 to 13 playing on a standard adult Parkour structure. They loved it. They found just as many uses as one would expect.
Which is to say that Parkour is adult behavior modeled on an energetic child's perspective.
To have fun in a children's playground we simply have to take an adult Parkour structure and make it available to kids.
Enough. Simple. Hey you public servants out there. Listen
up.