While the Nanny State Was Still Sleeping

I'm sure someone must have been scared, but it wasn't me. It wasn't my friends, or even my mother. Everyone understood playgrounds, and felt they were rather like a gigantic, benevolent babysitter. What could possibly go wrong?

Countless hours were spent on the slide:

..and on the steps up to the slide:

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..and on the swings, and merry-go-round:

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All one had to do was shout in the general direction of the front door: "WE'LL BE AT THE PLAYGROUND!!" and then disappear. No one worried.

  

Pardon my nostalgic murmurings, but has anyone noticed that these once-beloved time-pleasers are disappearing? Newer, gentler versions are taking the place of the old. I was reminded of this today when someone called Brenda Biondo ("For Your Eyes Only", youtube) said she could hardly find them anymore - and she was REALLY LOOKING HARD.

Brenda has written a book called "Once Upon A Playground", which outlines the history of playgrounds, the blossoming of playgrounds, and the wild popularity and usefulness of playgrounds. They were developed as a way to keep city children away from the streets, for their safety (playgrounds were an early version of Social Media - truly!).

But then people got scared of them and began to make others scared of them too - even though there is no noticeable statistical difference in safety (per capita) between the old and the new. 

Aaaaaarrrrrgggggghhhhhh!!!!!

Now, dear Readers, it is sad to admit something: the SconeLady now has a love/hate relationship with playgrounds. Since grandchildren arrived and began playing on them, they have rather lost favor. I plead insanity on this and it cannot be helped.

Aside from this insanity (possibly temporary), I still wish that children could romp around on the terrifically fun stuff we once did: 

• the tall, narrow slides
• the steel merry-go-rounds
• the really really long swings you could almost make go ALL THE WAY AROUND 
• the monkey bars!

And I even wish that they could simply shout "PLAYGROUND!" and head on over. Sigh. 

It's probably a silly question, but - when did Mayberry end, and the Nanny-State begin? Some of us are wondering.

See you along the way!

the SconeLady

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21561428@N03/4603974287/">las - initially</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">cc</a>

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikentiffy/2397753814/">Mike+Tiffy</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">cc</a>