What the what? Swing sets have been removed from several Washington state school playgrounds. Think of the memories being erased from our future. How sad! I have the story here and I'd also love to bring it on back to happy and share your most vivid memory on the playground. Thinking back, I took my energy and agility for granted.
What started in Richland, WA has now expanded into Spokane, WA and soon to even more school playgrounds. The swing sets have been removed. School officials say that swing sets are just too dangerous. According to KOMO News, the equipment is being taken out when a school or playground is already in the process of a renovation. Richland school's Steve Aagard says "It's just really a safety issue. Swings have been determined to be the most unsafe of all the playground equipment."
The swing sets in the Spokane School District are also disappearing from playgrounds. Superintendent Shelley Redinger says that students often say to her, "We’re being good on our swings. You’re not going to take them away, are you?”
The Spokesman Review reports that more than 200,000 children are treated in the emergency room each year due to playground equipment injuries (according to the National Safety Council). Research shows that 53% of those injuries involving public equipment occurred on "climbers" and 60% occurred on horizontal ladders (monkey bars) and 67% involved a swing.
I think we may need a little time to mourn the loss of the playground staple. One important step in mourning is to share our feelings and talk about memories. Obviously, I'm being overly dramatic but let's do it.
What is your fondest memory on a playground?
I would race out to the playground in elementary school to get on one of the three (never) available bars. I would either rest my lower stomach against the bar and fold myself forward to grab behind my knees and swing like a ring on a metal rod or I'd put one leg over the bar and grab underneath to hook my hands to my shins...and spin. How was that possible? I would get raspberries behind my knees and bruises on my hips from spinning until it hurt.
Wait...maybe playgrounds are dangerous. This just occurred to me.
What's your memory?
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