Let the Kids Play

James Trainor, writing for Cabinet, has an interesting article detailing the history of playgrounds. After an exhaustive analysis of the different eras of playground thought in New York he had this to say about the future of play:

In the summer of 2011, the New York Times published an article asking, “Can a Playground Be Too Safe?” It cited recent studies in the US and Europe documenting how antiseptic safety-first playgrounds may actually stunt emotional and cognitive development and leave children not only decidedly bored and under-stimulated but with skewed abilities to manage real-world risk later in life. The research also suggested that claims (made by the manufacturers, who had lobbied for stricter safety standards in the first place) that injuries had decreased overall thanks to the new play equipment may have been incorrect, and that total injuries may have actually risen due to the illusory perception of a danger-free zone. Either way, researchers agreed that mastering challenges, negotiating risks, and overcoming fears were critical to healthy play.

Perhaps because I grew up in a somewhat autonomous environment free to roam 30+ acres at will I have always been skeptical of the fear mongering that gets promoted sometimes. My feeling is that we should protect kids from real danger but the over cautious philosophy that won’t let kids explore and deal with the risks of childhood on their own is actually counterproductive. I’m supportive of the movement to provide more stimulating play experience even at the expense of greater perceived risk. Let’s let the kids play!