play

Wieden and Kennedy's brilliant "tag" advert for Nike from 2002

We took the "grandnephew" to a great playground today. He's four, but the people there who caught my attention were older - 10 years older, 12 years older. They were teens, but while the "teen" spaces in the park - the basketball court, the soccer field, even the skate zone - sat empty, the "Timber Town" playground held them all. Oh sure, two girls, working at being 'too cool,' sat swinging and gossiping, but all the rest, boys and girls, raced through the playground's features playing tag.

Timber Town, Zeeland, Michigan

They were no danger to the little kids. Not at all, and many of the kids were very young. Nor did they ever collide with a parent. Nor did anyone get hurt. But they played and played - inventing the rules, changing the rules as needed - but racing on and on.

And so once again I thought, why don't we have these playgrounds at middle schools and high schools? I know I'm not the only one who asks this - when I brought it up on Twitter, Royan Lee from Ontario mentioned taking his Middle Schoolers on a field trip to a playground, Chris Wejr mentioned how, in his community, when they converted an elementary school into a middle school, they very quickly removed the playground. I understood. Earlier in the day I had passed Holland (MI) New Tech High School (grades 6-12), also a converted elementary. Same thing there, the great playground that had sat behind the building has vanished. Turn 12 kids, and play time is gone, you're an adult now... unless, of course, you want to go to a movie, or choose your own class, or go out at night, or, or, or...

Secondary school playground design from Superblue Design of London (UK)
check out Knitting Nancy and this climber/shelter

Just last summer a Middle School Principal in Frankenmuth, Michigan had told me that virtually every one of his students had signed a petition asking for an "adventure playground" like those built at all the area's elementary schools.

Check out this "mobius strip" playground piece

Why? Where is recess between age 11 and age 18 when you get to university? Where are the playgrounds which encourage healthy play, healthy large muscle use, imagination, and adventure?

or this "ant farm for all ages"

Why do we keep on insisting that kids "grow up" so quickly? And why do we keep insisting that "growing up" means being stuck in a chair - an awful chair - all day?

- Ira Socol