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Making Playgrounds a Little More Dangerous

nytimes.com

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Re: Making Playgrounds a Little More Dangerous

#241

Post by ip26 »

gumby wrote: post #213
ip26 wrote: post #188

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not having seen said playground, I can only wonder as to the specifics of the dangerous tools. I presume they were kid-versions, e.g. no 2lb claw hammers or razor sharp 16" rip saws.

They weren’t 20 lb hammers, no, but nails (safer than brads actually), small hacksaws and the like — a regular rip saw is too heavy for a little kid!. Things like hot glue guns were plugged in indoors - kids went in and used them on their own as needed. But also more was expected: I remember nobody thought it remarkable when the after school teacher just decided one day to take 8 or 10 kids aged 5-11 on foot to downt…

Hacksaws & kids' glue guns are good choices. Kid's glue guns can still burn but not nearly as bad as a commercial gun, and hacksaws can still cut skin but nothing like a sharp ripsaw. If the kid gets a burn or a cut they can learn & aren't losing a limb in the process.

Re: Making Playgrounds a Little More Dangerous

#242

Post by baud147258 »

unknownkadath wrote: post #236
baud147258 wrote: post #226

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm pro-life and wouldn't make any exception in case of rape and incest; there's already been a crime, no need to add another (innocent) victim to the tally. But I think that we would need to also put into place to help women with unwanted pregnancies too.

Pythagoras thought beans were people.

I don't. And?

Re: Making Playgrounds a Little More Dangerous

#243

Post by ip26 »

skavi wrote: post #161
alexhutcheson wrote: post #150

There is good evidence that the rubber "safety" matting that's common on new playgrounds causes significantly more long-bone injuries (broken arms and legs) than previous surfaces like wood chips. Kids test the limits and play up to the point of pain, so they'll leap off structures onto rubber matting in a way that they wouldn't do onto wood chips or pea gravel. In the name of "safety", we're using surfaces that prev…

Why not use rubber mulch then? Lots of playgrounds already use it, and it offers the cushioning of wood chips and the "softness" of rubber matting.

I visited a playground made of some kind of rubber mulch, maybe chippered tires. The sun was out in force (hot summer day, 10k ft). You could see the haze of chemicals hovering over the chips as they offgassed, as well as smell them.

Re: Making Playgrounds a Little More Dangerous

#244

Post by unknownkadath »

baud147258 wrote: post #242
unknownkadath wrote: post #236

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pythagoras thought beans were people.

I don't. And?

He thought that because he was good at triangles that he was right to violently impose his wrong beliefs on his countrymen. It didn't go well for him.

The parallels are pretty obvious, and they do not require a ruler and compass to construct.

Re: Making Playgrounds a Little More Dangerous

#245

Post by em-bee »

soulofmischief wrote: post #148
achenatx wrote: post #142

My kids (11,6, 3) are so lame they are scared to play outside by themselves. I bought 100 acres with a creek so we would have a place to hike, camp, explore, build forts, shoot guns etc. My kids have been so coddled, they cant even play in the yard for long before they want to come in. Over the last year they are getting better, but when they have friends over, many of them wont even go into the forest and will only…

Perhaps you could show them what they're missing out on. Have you been able to talk them into camping yet? With 100 acres and a creek you've got to have a couple of nice spots.

right, you have to lead by example. don't even need to start with camping. just go out for a few hours and explore your property. map the borders, follow the creek.

somewhere out there, build a tree-hut, show your kids what fun can be had there.

Re: Making Playgrounds a Little More Dangerous

#246

Post by BurningFrog »

Noumenon72 wrote: post #166
BurningFrog wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, but you're not part of the US legal system, which OP was talking about.

I am and noticed that almost every playground I take my nieces and nephews to has some unique feature that sets it apart. They're not nearly as standardized as McDonald's play places or adult fitness centers. Someone is either marketing variety or designing it.

It would be interesting to compare it to playgrounds in other countries/jurisdictions.

There are probably already websites devoted to this...

Re: Making Playgrounds a Little More Dangerous

#247

Post by baud147258 »

unknownkadath wrote: post #244
baud147258 wrote: post #242

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't. And?

He thought that because he was good at triangles that he was right to violently impose his wrong beliefs on his countrymen. It didn't go well for him. The parallels are pretty obvious, and they do not require a ruler and compass to construct.

Well, I don't.

Re: Making Playgrounds a Little More Dangerous

#248

Post by unknownkadath »

baud147258 wrote: post #247
unknownkadath wrote: post #244

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He thought that because he was good at triangles that he was right to violently impose his wrong beliefs on his countrymen. It didn't go well for him. The parallels are pretty obvious, and they do not require a ruler and compass to construct.

Well, I don't.

And neural tubes aren't people, but women are.

Re: Making Playgrounds a Little More Dangerous

#250

Post by frosted-flakes »

rags2riches wrote: post #22
function_seven wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I remember when I was 7 years old and my dad was working on our back yard. Up until that point, the yard was just weeds and dirt. But now we were going to get sod to cover it all. First step was to bring in a mountain of good soil. That soil mountain was piled 6' high for a week, and I spent a lot of time playing on it. (My brother: "You know that pile is half cow shit, right?" ... Me: "Don't care")

The large piles of firewood before it had been stacked were great fun. The hayloft is of course a classic playground. And a gravel pit (the site where gravel is mined) is quite exciting...

> The hayloft is of course a classic playground.

I can feel the itching already.

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