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| An example of Victorian playground activities. |
When children reflect on the past before
their time (‘the olden days’), it’s often done so with either rose tinted fake
nostalgia (often informed by television) or in monochrome grey - all work and
no play. Cast your mind back to your childhood, did you really care what the
kids a hundred years past were doing in the playground? Probably not and if you
did you likely imagined it to be pretty rubbish.
The truth is the playground as we know it
is still a fairly new part of worldwide education, with the original blueprints
laid down in Germany sometime in the early 19th century. People were
becoming increasingly concerned with the dangerous nature of street play and
felt that children were not learning the correct way to co-operate and play
with one another. In 1859, the first proper “purpose built” kid’s playground
appeared in Manchester, England sparking inspiration for the rest of the
country and beyond. It quickly became evident how well they aided child
development and offered a safe, contained area for parents to let their kids
loose.
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| Roosevelt - 1907 |
America followed a little later, with an
official introduction by President Roosevelt in 1907 who recognised the
importance of play and safety:- “Older
children who would play vigorous games must have places especially set aside
for them; and, since play is a fundamental need, playgrounds should be provided
for every child as much as schools. This means that they must be distributed
over the cities in such a way as to be within walking distance of every boy and
girl, as most children cannot afford to pay carfare.”
Up until the 1980s, playgrounds both
communally and in schools had not been regulated for safety (at least, not in
any serious way that would inhibit dangerous builds). Thankfully, the following
rules for construction were put forth: ‘No sharp points or edges, gaps must
measure less than 3.5 inches or more than 9 inches and equipment more than 30
inches high must have at least a 9 foot separation’.
To explore Bridge Timber’s current
catalogue of safe for play equipment and playground designs please click here
or give us a ring on 01422 832863.
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