Do kids’ playgrounds really need to be electronic?
There’s a new type of playground equipment in St. Albert, Alberta – and it’s a first for Canada. It’s a high-tech LED playground.
Photo by Esther Gibbons (Flickr)
Kids going back to school at École Father Jan Community School will be thrilled with their new playground equipment, I’m sure. The St. Albert school can now hold the title of Canada’s first LED playground. What does it do? Kids can play electronic games while running, climbing and spinning around on the equipment. Here’s the full story printed in the Edmonton Journal. For a closer look at the playground equipment, here’s a link to the folks who make the playground equipment and what they say the benefits are of this sort of play.
When I first heard about this high-tech playground, my initial reaction was one of exasperation. Do we really need to integrate videogame-like activities with schoolyard play? Whatever happened to the good ol’ teeter-totter and marry-go-round? Do kids really need their playground equipment to be electronic now to have fun? How on earth did I ever get by as a child?
But then again, perhaps an electronic playground will encourage kids to get off their butts and get physical. Maybe this high-tech playground will be similar to the Wii, in that it will get kids – who would otherwise be slumped in front of the screen – up and active.
While eating dinner this evening, I asked my 12 year old son what he thought. He said, “Well, it sounds cool, but do kids really need that?” Though it seems like my son has the same point of view as I do, perhaps he was influenced by my opinion. I can see both sides of the coin. My husband, on the other hand, has strong objections to the words “video games” and “active” being used in the same sentence (he’s never broke a sweat playing DDR…in fact, I don’t think he even knows what DDR is).
What do you think? Is electronic playground equipment taking it too far, or is it a great idea?
Filed Under: For Kids > Tech Trends
Tags: high-tech, kids technology, playground equipment, school playground
Whatever happened to climbing trees, playing in gully’s,a marble game,trading sport cards,teather ball,volly ball,things like this during lunch hour.
Where are the role models to show our kids the fun in nature.
How will they learn to take care of nature.
Hm! our future adults to take care of the enviorment is looking pretty grim.
very sad,very frightening.
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Unfortunatly so many of the things we used to do as children have been deemed unsafe. To many people worry about the “what if”’s and “could have”’s it seems that as parents we have also become lazy and dont want to take responsibilty for our children.
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lol. wat happened to tetherball is that the kids get their teeth knocked out, etc. but otherwise, idk about marble games. the trading sports cards get the dumb teachers worried. they say oh, “but your parents bought that card, they didn’t want you to give it away.” ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm….. yeah they did…..
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I wish this was a joke, but it’s not. They spent over half million dollars building this playground, $300,000 for the equipment alone. I know that my kids (older now) were perfectly capable of using their imagination’s without the high tech stuff. I can think of so many better, more beneficial ways to spend that kind of money. It’s really no wonder so many young adult’s can’t seem to think for themselves anymore. A shameless waste of money.
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The times, they are a changing. And as usual, people tend to fight change. But they forget that there is nothing more constant then change. It is difficult to imagine an electronic playground without actually seeing it, and the interaction of the kids to the equipment, but I say bring it on. Lets prepare the children of the day for the future. And the future is high tech, Let us see how they interact and make our decisions after that.
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This is great stuff!! It is exactly what kids need to keep off the couches and get back outside! And no it was not 300k for the equipment alone. It was 300k for the reconstruction of the whole landscape. Try it before you knock it!
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agreed.
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I definitely think it’s a good idea. Though many think that its useless, it is also quite a reality that games that we had when we were younger are not that interesting anymore. As with many things, we evolve with our times. Similarly, I am sure that we never picked up those crummy tops that our grandfathers played with (even though it was amazing how they got it started, but end up running to our starwars or G.I. Joe’s). Kids will always have imagination, and video games and tv unfortunately expand on those. And what about playgrounds? Well once we stretch our young minds to a farther reach, we want to have everything else unimaginable on our laps, hence boring playgrounds. But add another ‘depth’ to an already existing idea… well you get the point.
By the way, when was the last time any of you have played at the playgrounds? All I see are parents sitting by the side and letting their kids “play” on their own. Maybe you should get-up and let your inner child run around for once. It may also help your child, be a child! (Just a thought)
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You have to try this thing before you pass judgement.
I tried it and I am converted.
It doesn’t hurt that the playground it is installed in is a beautiful piece of equipment as well. It eschews squared in boxy lines in favor of a much cooler organic design – very very cool looking.
I noticed that the kids are really challenged to get up on top of this thing too – it’s not just button pushing, they are working to climb this thing and they are climbing over and around each other!
I have seen way too many playgrounds that have no kids on them – this one is full of kids, nonstop. If that is a waste of money then I am forced to ask, what do you think a merry go round or tether ball that no one uses is? Now that is a waste of money!!
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The playground for the elementary section of our school is usually empty on weekends and holidays when I take my little brother there to play. I think that if kids found out that they could play video games and get active at the same time, they would be thrilled about it.
Kids wouldn’t need video games to make their way through the day if the parents taught them that they don’t need these games to have fun. I’m 13 and I got along fine when I was a kid…all I had was TV. Now my brother has a Ds and a Wii.
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It sounds like an awful lot of fun to me, as other commenters have stated, we are just evolving with the times. To heck with the kids, I want to go and try it for myself, think the kids will share?
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In all likelihood, this newer playground technology will become outdated, and go out of style within a matter of years. I work for a company which sells playground equipment. We specialize in timeless parts, events and structures which offer fun for kids of all generations — swings, slides, climbs and more.
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