A playground from decades ago is compared with today’s playground that almost likes two different eras. The old playground equipment always is more high, more fast, and more hardcore from that time, but more dangerous at the same time.
Many facilities which once popular worldwide, because the risks of pinching injury, falls, collision, and even fracture are higher, later, it was gradually banned or eliminated.
Although these retro facilities are filled with a sense of nostalgia, but the modern playgrounds more focus on the safety, inclusivity, and child development. The following are 12 classic but dangerous old playground equipment, and today's modern replace solutions.
12 old and dangerous playground device
1. Giant Stride
This kind of equipment is composed of central columns and top spinning wheels, children need to catch the rope first, and then quickly spin depend on the centrifugal force.
Why it is dangerous?
Totally they depend on the arm strength to hang
It is easy to be thrown away when the speed out of control
There are no seats or seat belts
It always occurs falls and head impacts
It used to be one of the most typical dangerous old playground equipment.
The modern replacement items
The modern spinning swing adds:
Soft lanyard
Molded seat
Speed limit structure
Rubber buffered floor
These keep the fun of spinning, and also reduce the risk of being thrown out.
2. Old High-speed Merry-Go-Round
Past merry-go-round totally depend on the pushing by a child or an adult, so its speed is so fast that can almost out of control.
Dangerous points:
The metal surfaces are very hot in summer
The hands and feet are easier to get caught in the gaps
The children are easier to be thrown out
After falling, kids will directly impact the cement ground
The changes in the modern types
The modern merry-go-round:
Add a magnetic speed reduction system
Rotational speed limited
The bottom uses a crash-resistant design
Support using the wheelchair accessibility
3. Racer Slides
It is a old racing slide that usually reaches 20 to 30 feet hall with an all metal structure.
Why it is considered dangerous?
The height is higher
The surface maybe burns the skin in summer
Kids are easy to fall from the side
The climbing process lacks protection
Especially a 30-foot slide, it is considered that is one of facilities which is the easiest to cause severe fall-related injuries.
Modern replacement items
Nowadays, the slides focus on:
A closed-type slide track
An anti-slip step
A lower platform height
The surfaces use plastics and composite materials
4. Jungle Gym
This is a shared memory for many children from the 1980s and 1990s.
The source of risk
Its height is too high
The metal rod has an very high temperature after being exposed to strong sunlight
The bottom is usually used of the concrete
Once kids go wrong, they will fall directly
So, a lot of traditional climbing frames have been demolished.
Modern replacement plans
Nowadays, a lot of climbing frames use:
Rope net climbing structure
Soft-pack steel frame
Rubber safety pad
The age-specific design
5. Wooden Seesaw
The traditional seesaw seems simple, but the accidents occur frequently.
The common dangers:
Suddenly jump from one side that is caused the other side to fall heavily
The wooden beam may have impacted the head
Its structure will be sunk after using it for a long time
It is easier to cause injuries of the coccyx and spinal column
The modern design
The modern seesaws usually:
Add the torsional springs
Set up a buffer device
Use a high-back seat
Install a safety grip
6. Log Swing
This is a typical and retro old playground equipment.
A piece of thick and heavy log is lifted and then swings back and forth, children need to sit at both ends.
Why was it eliminated later?
It has a wide swing range
It is easy to injure the observing children
The log is too heavy
Children always stand and play which maybe lead to falls
And the equipment is almost no longer seen in modern playground parks.
7. Fun Barrel
The “fun barrel” is a dangerous representative in many old playground parks.
How dangerous is it?
A huge roller spins around the central axis, and children need to stand on the top and keep balancing.
The risks include:
May slip and get entangled
Hands or feet may be crushed
Head is impacted
Injured by the roller
So it is gradually included in the list of high-risk facilities later.
8. Sandbox
The sandbox used to be a core area in the every playground park.
But it has a lot of issues:
It is easy to grow bacteria
The wild animals may enter and excrete
A humid environment will grows molds
Some of the old sands have the harmful dust
Modern improvement directions
Modern sand pit will:
Add a cover plate
Replace the sand regularly
Use the certified and non-toxic materials
Add the disinfection maintenance frequency
9. Tire Swing
Almost every community has tire swings in the past.
Its risks mainly include:
The accumulation of rainwater will grow mosquitoes
Its metal pendant chain has rusted
Its tire edge is wearing
Its swing angle is not controllable
Besides, the material of the old tire itself can also release hazardous materials.
Modern replacement
Nowadays, more and more playgrounds commonly use:
A soft rubber swing
EVA clad material
An anti-pinch chain
A multi-person bird's nest swing
10. Wooden play structure
A lot of old playgrounds are built by using the natural timbers.
The common issues:
A wood splinter will scratch kids
Wood is rotting
Grow molds and bacterial
Cracking after under the strong sun for a long time
So its maintenance costs are very high.
Why has it become popular again?
The modern natural playground uses:
The preservative-treated wood
Round corner polishing
Eco-friendly coating
The insect and mold prevention treatments
So a “natural wind playground park” getting a popularity again.
11. Metal Rocket Climbing Tower
The large metal rocket tower is very popular in the mid-20th century, nowadays, it is very rare.
Risk reasons
Its structure is too tall
It lacks a fence
The metal with high-temperature will burn kids
Its inside space is narrow and easy to collision
Afterwards, many schools actively remove it.
Modern changes
The modern themed climbing tower:
Use the plastics and composite materials
Add a closed protection
Set a buffer platform
Control the overall height
12. Concrete ground playground
Strictly saying, it is not a device, but it is one of the most dangerous parts in the old playground.
In the past, it was directly laid the following items under many facilities:
Cement
Asphalt
Crushed stone
Even a simple fall, and may:
Fracture
Tooth injury
Concussion
Modern standards
Today’s modern playground parks widely use the following:
EPDM rubber floor pad
Recycled rubber granules
Engineering wood fiber
A buffer lawn system
The safety is significantly improving.
Why these old equipment are banned?
A lot of dangerous playground equipment are banned step by step, the following are some main reasons:
High risk of falling: The equipment height in the past far exceeded today’s standards
No buffer ground: The ground usually is concrete or asphalt
Metal aging: Has many severe issues of rusting, fracture, and pinching injuries
Lack of checking: There are no unified security rules in the early day
Children’s injuries have added: A lot of accident cases at the hospital keep to add
Nowadays, a lot of countries start to use:
ASTM standard
CSA standard
EN1176 standard
To standardize the modern playground design.
The biggest difference between the modern playground parks and the past playground parks
The modern playground not only has “more secure”.
Today’s modern designs greater focus on:
Inclusivity
Sensory development
Social interaction
Development of sport skills
A barrier-free experience
The modern equipment will be designed according to the ages：
Soft packaging materials
A round corner structure
An anti-pinch design
A buffer ground
To reduce the injury risk.
The modern playground park equipment design(recommend Tongle Company)
The modern playground already upgraded from an old playground equipment with purely seeking thrills, to a comprehensive entertainment space that more focus on safer, more interactive, and children development.
In the field of the modern playground park equipment designs, Tongle Playground offers various solutions, such as indoor playgrounds, trampoline parks, soft play areas, and ninja challenge zones, these solutions are used for the shopping malls, children's playgrounds, schools, and family entertainment centers.
The advantages of Tongle play company:
Offer an overall playground planning and customization
Support a lot of theme designs
A rich variety of device types
Focus on the safety and durability
Suitable for various indoor and outdoor areas
Nowadays, the modern playground equipment not only focus on “playing with happy”, but also more emphasize the security, interactivity, and long-term operational value, this is an important reason that the traditional and old playground facilities are gradually being eliminated.
A lot of classical old playground equipment although are nostalgic, but many of them are too dangerous, and even some of them have been banned in many regions. From a giant spinning swing to a metal slide, these facilities have seen the clear changes in safety concepts for the playground parks.
The modern playground parks are not “losing the stimulus”, but it more focuses on the children’s safety, physical development, and inclusive experience while keeping the fun. For today’s families and operators, a really great playground park not only has a good play time, but also needs more secure, more durable, and it is suitable for all kids.
