Concrete jungle gyms have been in the news recently as older schools, parks and playgrounds are struggling to keep up with the times. While concrete jungle gyms are a thing of the past, you’d be surprised at how many you’ll still find around the country. Using concrete to build a playground is easier than you’d think and can be done cheaper, which is why this was a common practice in the 1960s and 1970s. As the times have changed and better playground technology has been developed and implemented, old school parks and playgrounds face the challenge of demolishing and rebuilding this types of jungle gyms.
The jungle gym has been an endearing symbol of childhood youth for almost a century now. These playgrounds were designed to allow kids to socialize, think outside the box and play outside their own homes and with kids their own age. As developers looked for ways to be creative and make playgrounds for cheap, they turned to concrete as a base to make everything from sandboxes to swings to other components of playgrounds.
Over time, concrete chips, cracks and eventually crumbles. Metal playgrounds are more common than ever, along with plastic ones, which have become a relatively cheap way to quickly create a jungle gym that will last. As parks and neighborhoods look for ways to develop, update and evolve their jungle gyms, concrete is being thrown to the wayside in the hopes of creating a visually appealing experience for kids and their communities alike.
Concrete jungles gyms aren’t as safe as they used to be and any playground still using concrete might want to think about updating and coming to terms with the times. With the options out there for playground design and aesthetics, it’s easier than ever to get an exciting, adventurous playground for a great price that’s up and running in no time. It’ll look good, be useful to families and add value to any neighborhood or community that invests in updating or installing one.
This is one instance where concrete gets it wrong and is left behind as the times are changing.
