Recently, I was at Side park in the Lido area with a friend and our kids. We are similar ages and we both have young children. We noticed the old-school playground equipment and spent a few moments reminiscing. Surely these were done away with in the West because they were dangerous, right?
It’s true that industrial springs and sharp metal piping are probably not the best materials with which to fashion a child’s playground, but there were some good play areas when we were kids. I particularly remember these bouncy horses and my kids loved them too.
In the West, it takes one injury to change a whole industry and some would argue such change is often too rash. Then again, the new playgrounds back home with Astroturf and soft edges are surely smarter. Less hazardous on our little ones is always a good modus operandi, right?
Nevertheless, I kept an eye on the swing set as my daughter pumped her legs. I remember the days when we kids enjoyed rocking the frames of those swing-sets until they pumped themselves out of the ground and wobbled violently with every to and fro of the swing.
As our kids enjoyed the old-school trampoline (their mothers joyous that it wasn’t a big plastic bouncy castle!), my friend and I looked at each other and nodded. This equipment isn’t that old, we agreed.
“After all,” she said. “We’re not dead yet!”
Photos: courtesy of Ember Swift & Jessica Meider
