Anonymous wrote:
I was SHOCKED to find out recently that a group of teenage competitive gymnasts did not know what penny drops were. I'm sure kids have always broken their arms on monkey bars, but I wonder if it's more common now that playtime is so sanitized that kids don't get any practice doing "dangerous" things and learning how to fall properly.

Ha, we definitely aren't ever allowed to teach those anymore. Part of me remembers the times we were allowed to do that in in class being the best ever, but the modern safety certified me cringes at the idea. Penny drops have been a no-no since basically right after I started gymnastics (still got a couple good years in at the tail end though).

Although it's tradition at my gym for the team kids to do a probably even more dangerous version into the pit, so there's that.

Anonymous wrote:"they have outlawed tag"

????hunh

how do you outlaw tag and for what insane reason would someone dream of doing so?

It's too dangerous and it teaches kids to chase each other.


Pretty fucking stupid if you ask me

My favorite things on the playground at elementary school other than the monkey bars were the roundabout thing with the handles that you could spin around on and swings. Monkey bars are just about the last fun thing left for kids to play on at school playgrounds. Yes, kids can get hurt on them, but kids can find a way to get hurt on just about anything.

Anonymous wrote:The problem with having monkey bars on school playgrounds is that these days there are often way too many classes out at recess at once and not enough supervision. The school monkey bars get too crowded and the kids swinging underneath having to maneuver around the kids sitting on top.

I love watching my kids master the monkey bars at parks but I'm watching them and tell them to wait for their turns.

This is part of being a kid. A bit of chaos. Not everything has to be orderly all the time. it is good for kids to just play and forget about lines and holding back. The playground is about playing!

The problem with having monkey bars on school playgrounds is that these days there are often way too many classes out at recess at once and not enough supervision. The school monkey bars get too crowded and the kids swinging underneath having to maneuver around the kids sitting on top.

I love watching my kids master the monkey bars at parks but I'm watching them and tell them to wait for their turns.

"they have outlawed tag"

????hunh

how do you outlaw tag and for what insane reason would someone dream of doing so?

Anonymous wrote:I actually read something the other day (probably on free range kids website) that said the real danger is when kids who have been brought up not allowing to play on anything where they can climb - suddenly get on equipment where they can climb. they don't know what they are doing, and that is when they get hurt. So in a way, its safer to let kids explore, climb and learn what they can and cannot do.

Oh geez, never mind - the Slate article quotes the article I said (I clearly did not read it well)

I actually read something the other day (probably on free range kids website) that said the real danger is when kids who have been brought up not allowing to play on anything where they can climb - suddenly get on equipment where they can climb. they don't know what they are doing, and that is when they get hurt. So in a way, its safer to let kids explore, climb and learn what they can and cannot do.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My four siblings and I survived childhood without ever having broken an arm or leg and we did some crazy (unsupervised) things. I remember sitting on top of the monkey bars and hanging upside down and the hard smack that accompanied the impact when we fell onto the baked Texas ground below.

Penny drops and all....us too! My brother and his friends used too build some crazy-ass ramps that they launched bikes and skateboards over...littler ones following on big wheels

This was my childhood. We didn't even wear helmets. Good times!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband is an Orthopaedic surgeon and says that all the time.

Well, sure. The orthopedic surgeon sees the kids who break bones. He don't see the vast majority of kids who play on trampolines and monkey bars who don't break bones. Observer bias. I'll admit that kids who sit quietly under the tree smelling flowers are not seen by the surgeon, either.

But they see the percentage of breaks by cause. If you see a very large number of breaks coming from one specific activity, out of all the things children do, it is meaningful. I know that my kid does not spend 20% of his life on monkey bars.

And once you do, it is pretty clear that better padding below does not diminish the actual challenge of the bars. This is rather unique for climbing equipment. Most activities would require you to make them easier in order to be safer. This one does not.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband is an Orthopaedic surgeon and says that all the time.

Well, sure. The orthopedic surgeon sees the kids who break bones. He don't see the vast majority of kids who play on trampolines and monkey bars who don't break bones. Observer bias. I'll admit that kids who sit quietly under the tree smelling flowers are not seen by the surgeon, either.

F you. He sees kids that break all kinds of bones from all kinds of injuries. A large portion of these injuries are from monkey bars...more so than any other playground equipment. But way to be an ass.

Holy overreaction, Batman!

Cut her some slap, she's bitchy 'cause he's doing the nurse.

My kid just broke his arm on the monkey bars. He will be back on them when the cast comes off and the doc says OK. I bet he's more careful. But I can't imagine avoiding everything that's not risk-free.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My four siblings and I survived childhood without ever having broken an arm or leg and we did some crazy (unsupervised) things. I remember sitting on top of the monkey bars and hanging upside down and the hard smack that accompanied the impact when we fell onto the baked Texas ground below.

Penny drops and all....us too! My brother and his friends used too build some crazy-ass ramps that they launched bikes and skateboards over...littler ones following on big wheels

My friends an I did that as well. I still remember when Steve went down the hill, over the poorly built launch ramp and broke his arm and his bike. Good times.

Filed under no shyte.

Anonymous wrote:Lol, yeah my brother broke his arm on the monkey bars- mid 80s, prob in first grade...and had to walk a half mile home by himself holding it! Omg different times...

I broke my arm late 90s. Went home and slept on it before we realized something was seriously wrong. Cast the next day.