Do you remember your childhood playground?

Beekers — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:42:40 +0000

I recall my school’s playground being covered in concrete. Yes, a paved playground! There was no question of skinning your knees. You just hoped it happened as far into recess as possible so that you didn’t miss out on the fun. Slides were made of metal and 11am was the cutoff for getting on the slide if you didn’t wear pants. Someone would always try to show off by sliding down the hot metal only to be rushed to the nurse’s office to treat their 1st degree burns. You got your first lesson on Newton’s principle of inertia on the merry go round, which was made of wood and metal. We even had trees with low limbs that you could climb. All of this came rushing back when I opened an email from my friend Nicole. Take a look at this:

See those things on the kids’ heads? Those are call Thudguard helmets. The helmets are for kids 7 months to 2 years of age and is intended to keep their heads safe while they are learning to crawl, walk, and run. These are not for kids with medical conditions. These are for EVERY child. I can understand bicycle helmets, plastic playground equipment, even the rubber products used to cushion play areas at playgrounds, but a helmet for walking? If you think this is a good idea, why stop with the helmet? What about safety goggles, knee pads, and elbow pads? I think you should bubble wrap your kid. Those floppy things on top are suppose to be ears, so that you can maximize the ridicule your child will receive while out in public wearing the Thudguard. I am not advocating that we go back to the days of concrete playgrounds, but I think safety products like this send new parents into a tizzy so that the makers of this glorified bicycle helmet can make a profit. I am not a parent, but come on, isn’t this taking things a little too far?

Beeker's Words » playgrounds

Do you remember your childhood playground?