Editor:
I recently read about playground renewals planned for seven parks in Vancouver.
While this intent is admirable and much needed, I must offer a note of caution about the type of playground renewal that is intended.
Commercial equipment of steel, plastic, and fibreglass offers only temporary novelty value and actually does little for the real play needs of children and youth.
By transforming the child’s world into hard surfaces and representative realism, we are unwittingly robbing children of their rights to develop their skills, sense of wonder, and improvisation.
Planners should look at the field of “natural playgrounds” in the literature to help guide them.
Key elements in providing good play settings for the young include music, sand and water, real grass and flowers, trees to climb (instead of facsimiles), hills, opportunities to create and recreate their own environments, and abundant chances to experience risk, adventure and cooperation.
Essentially, nature is a much better teacher than high tech, expensive, commercial equipment as has been testified to by educators and philosophers across the ages.
Research shows that where these natural ingredients have been provided there are many benefits to the children and community at large.
One last factor to consider is the matter of cost and who should be involved in decision-making and construction. Simply put, playground renewal should be done mainly by the caring hands of children and adults rather than the corporate marketplace. The values inherent in this more democratic, participatory manner are highly significant.
Dr. Garfield Pennington, Roberts Creek
