PORTLAND, Ore - Most adults can remember the carefree days of childhood, climbing trees and jumping from swings, often on schoolyard playgrounds. Climbing, swinging and sliding was once a rite of passage during recess, a time for adventure, to see how high, how far and how fast we could go as a kid. Today, kids find themselves grounded, victims of a culture of fear and injury litigation. A growing number of school districts are going so far as to ban the game of tag and are even posting signs that read "no running on the playground." Is there real danger on the modern playground? Safety advocates say yes and want to eliminate it.Their first target:
But the safety advocates don't stop there.
Why?Â…because they just canÂ’t stop themselves.
Portland Public Schools have also rejected merry go-rounds, tube slides, track rides, arch climbers, and teeter-totters.
Oh My!
At Grant Park in Northeast Portland, some parents embrace a new plastic enclosed play area, noting that the construction of the play equipment does not have sharp corners, and soft surfaces are used in many areas.
No doubt it comes fully equipped with helmets, Ritalin dispenser, and a large multilingual precaution sign.
As for the disappearing swings at school playgrounds, some parents say the kids won't miss them, while others decry the move as overprotective.