Safe in Sterile Playgrounds

Those who think they know what’s best for children are neutering the nation’s playgrounds, taking the fun and risk out of childhood. There’s some of this play-it-safe mentality in the church, too.

It was bright and cool in the back yard of the Duck Pond preschool in Oakland, California - perfect climbing weather. So Chloe Fillinger pulled herself to the top of the play structure and reached for the firefighter's pole, her 3-year old body poised for a fast ride to the bottom.
But Chloe quickly made a disappointing discovery, one that meant there would be no ride that day. With shock in her voice, she called out to her teacher, "The pole is gone."
The firefighter's pole was gone - forever.
That's not all that's missing from schoolyards and parks across the country. Poles are falling to hacksaws and day-care swings are tumbling into trash bins. Parks are losing their seesaws, jungle gyms and slides.
Why? Because safety standards are now so high, many owners cannot afford to comply.
The playground movement got off the ground 100 years ago. Envisioned as space where children could explore and stay fit, parks were built with monkey bars, swings, and slides in abundance. Sure, everyone...