Can a Playground Be Too Safe?
Sometimes, of course, their mastery fails, and falls are the common form of playground injury. But these rarely cause permanent damage, either physically or emotionally. While some psychologists — and many parents — have worried that a child who suffered a bad fall would develop a fear of heights, studies have shown the opposite pattern: A child who’s hurt in a fall before the age of 9 is less likely as a teenager to have a fear of heights.
I can testify that I was a tree-climber from way back. I can only recall one fall, which was due to another climber getting onto the same branch as me and having it break. I’ve also broken a bone playing (on my bike) and would wholeheartedly endorse play-ground injuries.
I like that there’s now some science to back up my opinion that safety has gone too far in playgrounds. That, however, is probably a by-product of an overly litigant society.
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