Risky Playgrounds: Why our children need them

It’s been a while since I’ve posted, as I’ve been continuing my journey through Central America. I’ve been trying to maintain some semblance of an exercise routine while I’ve been away, and as most soccer (or football depending on where you’re from) fields seem to be closed to the public, I’ve resorted to working out in playgrounds. Promise me, it’s less creepy than it sounds! This has given me a chance to see the differences between playgrounds in South/Central America, compared with the playgrounds I’m used to back home. Which got me thinking about the set up of Australian playgrounds, and the balance between safety and calculated risk.

I’ve talked before about the importance of children having the opportunity and means to play outside. And with more and more families living in apartments or subdivisions, the need to utilise public playspaces is crucial. Not everyone has the now-luxury of a frontyard/backyard to explore and develop in. Yet the barriers to participation at public playspaces has only grown over the years, with stigma, fear, and changes to parent schedules and priorities as top contributors. Alongside this, laws around child/playground safety policies has also significantly changed, to the point where playgrounds of today differ drastically from the playgrounds of 20+ years ago.

The good news is that in recent years there has been a substantial push and research to show the benefit of controlled risk in children’s playgrounds, resulting in the introduction of equipment such as web climbing frames or mini-rock climbing walls in some play areas. I truly don’t envy the job of having to determine the safety standards of modern playgrounds. On one hand, child safety is paramount and the reduction of injuries and/or deaths remains a priority. But on the flipside, it’s important that we don’t eliminate the benefits of outdoor play, such as gross motor development, problem solving and risk analysis. Play is how children learn about what their bodies can and can’t do, and learning how to identify and assess a risk is a crucial lifelong skill.

With many children (particularly those in cities or more heavily populated suburbian areas) only having access to outdoor play by virtue of built playgrounds, the composition of these playgrounds is an important consideration for not only parents, but schools, early education centres, councils, support workers and other caregivers. While not always viable or pragmatic, when possible, the selection of a playground (or equipment to place into a playground) should include what will be most beneficial to a child’s development. It’s understandable that playgrounds will be often be selected due to location or accessibility. Where possible, a child should be introduced to a playground that presents them with equipment that will challenge their strength, coordination, problem solving, balance, sensory systems and cooperation skills via the presence of various controlled risks.

While the playgrounds I’ve seen on my travels haven’t always adhered to safety standards that would be relevant in Australia, the ones I present below all have equipment that could be utilised or adapted to comply with these standards. Please note none of these playgrounds were accessibility-friendly to children with physical or developmental disabilities, which is something that has been improving (albeit slowly) in Australia.

Here’s some of my favourites and why they caught my eye:

Panama City, Panama

This playground had 3 elements in particular that I loved:

Square climbing tiles: these aren’t just eye catching and inticing, but work on core strength and balance due to the slight wobble of the attachment ropes, shoulder and length strength as the child reaches and moves from tile to tile, and motor planning to position hands and feet in the correct positions.
Web structure: webs are fantastic climbing apparatuses as they don’t need to be high off the ground for children to benefit. Balance, core and shoulder strength, grasping, hand-eye coordination, and motor planning are all targeted during climbing. As children change their posture and body positioning through navigating the web, they activate vestibular (head movement) and proprioceptive (body awareness) sensory systems. Webs also create a great space for multiple children to engage in social, creative and cooperative play, as well as challenging spatial awareness.
Exercise equipment: this playground contained various child size equipment including bikes, cross trainers and upright row machines (pictured above). These machines all developed body strength and awareness as well as providing deep proprioceptive input, using the child’s own body weight to control the level of input given.

San Salvador, El Salvador

This playground was actually busy with children, but it was so large I was able to get a few sneaky snaps! While this might remind some of you of playgrounds from your own youth, these kind of metal playgrounds have generally been replaced in Australia (and with good reason!). The two pieces that really caught my eye:

Rings: once a staple in many playgrounds, rings have now almost disappeared. I am a huge fan of rings for a number of reasons. They develop shoulder postion and strength (crucial for handwriting and fine motor tasks) as well as grip strength (needed for any power based task). The swinging action provides vestibular input that many children crave, and the simple act of lifting the legs up engages and strengthens the core muscles (the basis of all movement).
Ladders: these ladders lead to monkey bars which are often removed due to high injury rates (with web climbing frames a useful alternative). The ladders themselves are a great stand alone piece of equipment, as they encourage the development of motor planning and coordination, risk analysis (how high a child is comfortable to climb), grasping and reaching patterns, and balance/core strength. Ladders also facilitate creative and pretend play, as children can easily create games and make believe scenarios encompassing climbing and escaping!

Caye Caulker, Belize

Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Mexico

Mexico City, Mexico

I absolutely love climbing walls! Whether they are coloured, mishappen, uniform, small or big, they are on my list for “must have” in any playground. What I love about the above walls:

Rectangular, smooth blocks are a great challenge for older children as they need a stronger grasp, balance, and coordination. They encourage rotation in the hip and ankle, increasing flexibility and strength in these joints.
Coloured holds are great for children with vision challenges as they are bright and contrast well against the darker background. Colours can be used to increase the challenge of the activity by restricting how many holds are child can use to climb the wall. This is a great activity for problem solving and planning!
Mishappen blocks allow for the development of different grasp patterns and allow children to utilise a hook grasp, great for children with limited hand mobility or finger strength.
Rock walls can be of any height, shape or material. A curved surface encourages reaching and supporting the body weight through the active engagement of the shoulder and back muscles.

On a closing note, not all playgrounds are created equal! Equipment that elevates children off the ground via reaching, pulling, and climbing are fantastic additions to any playground. Learning to remain safe whilst assessing and managing risks such as height or challenges to balance is an important developmental lesson for children of all ages and individual needs. You can choose playgrounds and equipment that benefit your child/ren the most!