> and also lots of space for the kids to play outside.
Do kids still play outside these days? I'm only 27, but from what I've seen of the 6-18 crowd they tend to be stuck in front of a screen most of the day.
Ha, within a 15 minute walk? I’m going to guess you don’t have kids.
So parents need to pack everything up daily for their kids to go play (at least for the first N years of life until they’re independent enough to go do a 15min walk on their own) or be taxed for it?
I have a public park across the street from me.
I spent $20k converting the side of my house into a playground for my kids.
The QoL impact has been massive.
It’s gated in by a 6ft perimeter brick wall with a door that we put in that opens from the kitchen.
In the morning, my 2 year old can unlock the door to the side yard and go play before we even wake up.
The side yard lets our kids play without us needing to supervise. It gives them strong early independent play and gives us space to get life sorted out while they are entertaining themselves (chores, bills, etc.).
The park across the street does none of that, it is not interchangeable in any meaningful way.
Probably even worse than the reduction of PE time is the reduction of playground time and the overbearing focus on child safety ruining what remains. As stereotypical dorky kid, I never liked PE, but I'd happily run around outside for hours if I was playing tag or basketball or something with friends. I'm not sure if kids these days get to have that experience.
Some superblocks sometimes have parks or playgrounds, you never have to worry about your kids getting run over or thrown in the back of a van, more people hang out outside because it isn't sulfery or loud.
Good and safe fully fenced playgrounds away from cars are important - both open-air and closed for the rainy/snowy days. So a bunch of families can leave there children and even a single parent can look after them for an hour or two. Children like playing with each other, just make it available, so the parents can read a newspaper/work on their Macbook without being scared to look away from their child for a minute.
Same thing with kids rooms in cafes/restaurants/public places - they should be mandated by state for big establishments
> School playgrounds are empty and stay empty unless school is in session.
The kids at my local school used to play for hours after classes but last week were told they have to leave within 10 minutes of the bell for 'liability reasons'
Combined with the volume of traffic nowadays and the conversion of local parks to pay-per-use 'sportplexes', most parents unfortunately just decide to coop their children in their gardens.
Kids don't want AstroTurf pitches and climbing walls, they just need quiet residentual streets or a brownfield site with sticks and ponds. But they're gone.
I was more alluding to the fact that these courtyard playgrounds are easily accessible for kids directly from their apartments, and don't have to be driven to by adults.
As far as cars, it was almost impossible to get up to higher than 10mph in there, and if you did, you'd probably be hunted down next time by neighbors and old ladies.
In the US it is an arrestable offense for your kids to go play in the park on their own, so I pretty much see it as a waste to fund children's playgrounds. Average parent is worked to death just keeping the household afloat with no time to have to accompany their kid the whole time. Rather have a private one where the police at least need a warrant to enter the secured curtilage.
I mostly take the kids to McDonalds when the weather's bad, personally. The play place is a good way to get out of the house and do something energetic despite the rain or snow.
You're right, there are nearby playgrounds. As the other comments put it, it is more about the walkability/design of the neighborhoods that's the issue.
The spirit of capitalism, condensed into one statement: If your kids want to breathe non-toxic air and play, they better be prepared to walk (or, rather, drive) half an hour to the park.
We live in the suburbs. Our kids play with other kids at the local park all the time. But you're insane if you can't see the huge advantage to being able to just let the kids out into the backyard.
For children especially, cities can be tough. You can't exactly "play" in your frontyard if you live on a busy street. There's less serendipity and unstructured play time when you have to go to a public park or another location to get together.
I have a co-worker who is so risk-averse, she literally pushes her 4-year-old in the stroller to each piece of playground equipment - so she doesn't have to worry about running; even walking at the playground is forbidden for her child.
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