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May 09, 2006
What’s making the kids fat?
Litigation and hyper-cautious safety-pushers aren’t helping:
- Is there real danger on the modern playground?
Safety advocates say yes and want to eliminate it.
Their first target: swing sets.
They've convinced Portland Public Schools to remove all swings from elementary schools playgrounds.
But even a playground inspector finds the removal of swing sets a little over the top.
He says that swinging creates motion and is an important part of childhood development.
But the safety advocates don't stop there.
Portland Public Schools have also rejected merry go rounds, tube slides, track rides, arch climbers, and teeter totters.
At Grant Park in Northeast Portland, some parents embrace a new plastic enclosed play area, noting that the construction of the play equipment does not have sharp corners, and soft surfaces are used in many areas.
And there will be no running on playgrounds in Broward County, Florida. A new rule forbids it.
- Not dodge ball or tether ball, that's still too dangerous. And in Beaverton, at Barnes Elementary School, rules there forbid the game of tag.
In Salem, an elementary education director says "we don't encourage the game of tag because it encourages fights."
But hey, kids still have plenty of fun ways to stay in shape: squat thrusts, jog in place, stand up straight and rotate arms in a circular motion.
Meanwhile, at the local death trap:
- But at Catlin Gabel, a private school, there's an entirely different philosophy at work on the playground. One where monkey bars, slides and other playground favorites are used daily by a roiling mass of youngsters, some who come away with skinned knees or other minor boo-boos.
Kids there are taking chances, even jumping from swings, and it's all encouraged.
Whole piece here.
Posted by tedb at May 9, 2006 01:07 PM
I haven't been up to much lately. I've basically been doing nothing , but it's not important. I can't be bothered with anything recently. I've just been letting everything happen without me lately.
Comment by: Sten55840 at January 24, 2007 04:23 PM
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I haven't been up to much today. I've just been letting everything happen without me. Basically nothing seems worth bothering with. I've just been hanging out doing nothing. I just don't have anything to say right now. More or less nothing happening.
Comment by: Sten37325 at January 26, 2007 08:25 PM
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I haven't been up to much these days. Today was a loss. Nothing seems important. I've just been letting everything happen without me these days.
Comment by: Sten47842 at January 27, 2007 11:35 PM
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I haven't been up to much these days. Today was a loss. Nothing seems important. I've just been letting everything happen without me these days.
Comment by: Sten24053 at January 29, 2007 08:27 PM
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My life's been pretty dull recently. Shrug. My mind is like a void. I haven't gotten anything done lately. I can't be bothered with anything recently.
Comment by: Sten42744 at January 30, 2007 12:36 AM
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I haven't been up to much today. I've just been letting everything happen without me. Basically nothing seems worth bothering with. I've just been hanging out doing nothing. I just don't have anything to say right now. More or less nothing happening.
Comment by: Sten85288 at January 30, 2007 12:43 AM
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I just don't have much to say recently. Such is life. I've basically been doing nothing. Basically nothing seems worth bothering with. Oh well.
Comment by: Sten25172 at January 30, 2007 07:48 AM
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I haven't been up to much today. I've just been letting everything happen without me. Basically nothing seems worth bothering with. I've just been hanging out doing nothing. I just don't have anything to say right now. More or less nothing happening.
Comment by: Sten9760 at January 30, 2007 10:04 PM
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Basically nothing noteworthy happening right now, but eh. Today was a complete loss. I haven't been up to much recently. I've pretty much been doing nothing worth mentioning.
Comment by: Sten91136 at January 30, 2007 10:16 PM
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I feel like a complete blank, but I don't care. Pfft. I've pretty much been doing nothing worth mentioning.
Comment by: Sten30649 at February 1, 2007 05:34 AM
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I've just been staying at home not getting anything done. I guess it doesn't bother me. Shrug. I haven't been up to anything. I haven't gotten much done today.
Comment by: Sten68499 at February 1, 2007 10:21 AM
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I haven't been up to anything these days. So it goes. I can't be bothered with anything these days.
Comment by: Sten52959 at February 1, 2007 10:34 PM
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I haven't been up to much these days. Today was a loss. Nothing seems important. I've just been letting everything happen without me these days.
Comment by: Sten51705 at February 2, 2007 01:59 PM
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I just don't have anything to say. Not that it matters. Eh. I've just been staying at home doing nothing, but I don't care. That's how it is.
Comment by: Sten84715 at February 3, 2007 11:20 AM
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My mind is like a bunch of nothing, but I guess it doesn't bother me. I haven't been up to anything recently. I've pretty much been doing nothing to speak of.
Comment by: Sten86728 at February 4, 2007 11:13 PM
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I feel like an empty room, but eh. Nothing seems worth doing. I haven't gotten much done today.
Comment by: Sten67322 at February 5, 2007 09:22 PM
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Not much on my mind lately. My life's been completely boring these days. I've just been hanging out not getting anything done. So it goes.
Comment by: Sten22354 at February 6, 2007 08:15 AM
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