Safety and Boredom

Have playgrounds become too safe for kids?

An article that came out this morning features an interview with Alex Gilliam from Public Workshop and talks about the lack of opportunities for risk-taking that children have.

Amazing how a big chunk of the hard earned funds that a school or a town obtains for play space can end up buying boring and expensive plastic.  It doesn't take much to engage children with outdoor play, and simplicity and open-ended materials are key, I think.

I'm not the only one who thinks this way.   Teacher Tom has created an outdoor space that encourages risk-taking and experimentation; The Children and Nature Network is dedicated to getting children outside into natural spaces; and I'm sure there are countless others.

How can we convince others that we need to offer something beyond slides and swings?  The more trouble you can potentially get into, the more you learn, I imagine.