Have you ever heard such a thing as a jail-themed playground? As a kid and early teenager, who loved playing cops and robbers, I would've been thrilled by such a playground. I remember feeling eager before going to my school's carnival and playing at the jail booth, where you could pay tickets and have your friends be arrested. Who said childish games are not morbid?
An article in the NY Times addressed the recent criticism a playground at the Tompkins Houses development in Bedford-Stuyvesent received jail-themed bars and cell door. Upon Black and Brown News' article criticizing the park's theme, the New York City Housing Authority removed the park's jail sign and bars.
According to Susan Solomon, author of American Playgrounds, believes playground equipment should be more abstract in order to promote children's creativity. " “A jail may be sort of extreme, but it’s really I think representative of the fact that too often, the playground manufacturers and the people who are commissioning them are thinking too literally, and they’re not looking at how much abstraction really benefits kids.” I definitely think she presents a valid point. Though jail, castle, and jungle themed playgrounds may be fun to children, a more beneficial altrenative would be to create less literal playgrounds and let children play with their imagination. This too, would eliminate the hassle of unintentionally creating inappropriate-themed playgrounds.
a very interesting subject but i think you could have gone more indepth. why is abstraction better for kids? do you have an opinion? you say it's a good point but not why? also, it's hard to tell where the quote from Solomon comes from. Remember: transparency! Even though it's "just" a blog post, you want to have some weight to what you're saying. it can be your opinion, but you want the person to come away thinking.
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