At the Playground

With the weather cooperating, I decided today would be a good opportunity to take Jack to the playground at the Wales Park.

I really like this playground. It is constructed of sturdy plastic, and offers activities for a wide range of ages. Slides of various heights and shapes offer kids a new challenge at different levels. And whoever designed this playground did a good job of making it safe so that kids don't accidentally fall off from higher levels.


Also, the stairs on this equipment are situated in a fashion that is safer to climb. The playgrounds from my childhood weren't nearly as accommodating. First off, they were made of wood (hard wood). And the stairs were more like a spiral staircase, except much more treacherous. Inevitably, you were going to hit your head on something as you ran up the stairs. I can still feel that 'thud' on the back of my cranium as I risked a serious concussion at every recess. I won't even get into the "splinter factor" when dealing with a giant wooden playground. And who ever thought that metal rollers would make for a good slide? If you didn't pinch your fingers on the way down, you weren't doing it right.

But even with all the good qualities that the Wales playground offers for Jack and countless other kids, there will always be individuals that abuse the benefits of free entertainment.


Here's a picture of one of the blue slides. It appears that somebody applied some extreme heat to it. What a pointless thing to do. It essentially creates sharp edges on an otherwise smooth surface. Hopefully no kids will get injured on it.





This playground utilizes shredded tires for a softer playing surface, which is really nice, (filthy dirty, but nice). But unfortunately, there are smokers that treat the area like a giant ashtray. There are dozens (or maybe hundreds) of cigarette butts lying on the ground. Some of these butts may have been tossed by teenagers trying to look cool. But I'm sure some of them are the refuse of other parents. Nice example you're setting for your kids. You've got a filthy, unhealthy habit, and you litter.

But all in all, this is a nice playground. It's usually pretty empty, so I don't have to worry about Jack being trampled by other unruly kids. And as long as Jack gets some good exercise, then I know a good long nap is sure to follow.