Kids on the coast

Don't climb to Jake– you might get stuck,” implores a mum as her toddler ascends beyond her reach. “Sit down Ella, right down, here I’ll hold your hand…weeee,” says another mum as her precious bundle takes her first flight down the baby slippery dip. “Watch where you’re going Keiran, you’ll crash into the other kids,” warns a dad as he stands guard over his pre-schooler’s game of chase. Reflecting what sociologist Frank Furedi calls ‘paranoid parenting’, this modern tendency to over-protect children from what used to be called ‘life’ is evident at parks all over Australia.

Paradoxically, playground safety has improved dramatically in the time it’s taken for today’s parents to go from playground bandits to playground guardians. The first change came in 1981 when the Australian Standard for playground equipment was introduced, consigning many of the old metal structures to the playground graveyard. It restricted the height of climbing frames but it didn’t specifically address the problem of heads being banged on hard floors – though duty of care meant that schools and councils no longer chose concrete as a playground base. Then in 1996 another Australian Standard was introduced that referred specifically to playground surfaces. With concrete and dirt now well and truly off the menu as options (and grass only acceptable for equipment under half a metre) there was a choice of loose fill (bark chip), sand, or synthetic, impact-absorbing surfaces. These two Australian standards kept playgrounds pretty safe all the way up until 2004, when the original 1981 version was replaced. Still current today, AS 4685 (parts 1-6) covers all aspects of playground equipment safety with requirements on height, avoiding entrapment of heads and limbs, space required between play areas, barriers and handrails.


Counting the injuries

According to Kidsafe – a non-profit organisation devoted to preventing unintentional injury and death to children – around 5000 Queensland children each year attend hospital for medical treatment for injuries related to playground equipment. More than half of those injured are in the 5-9 age group and almost a quarter of them have to be admitted to hospital. However, it is worth noting that more injuries occur on backyard equipment than on public playgrounds with school injuries accounting for the greatest percentage of all. Falling or jumping from playground equipment accounts for around 83% of injuries with only 30% of these falls being from heights of more than one metre. The most common injury from a fall over 1m is a fracture, with sprains/strains and concussion being the next most frequent injuries. Monkey bars and climbing equipment account for one third of all hospital attendances, with swings and slides the other main culprits.



Kidsafe points out that the current safety standards for surfacing are aimed at reducing head injuries, not long bone fractures. Monkey bars in particular have been highlighted as commonly producing fracture injuries. But for all its understandable concentration on injury statistics and warnings, Kidsafe is also keen to relay the message that playgrounds should be fun. ‘Reduce the risk, not the challenge’ is its mantra.

The 2004 Australian standard for playground equipment carries the same message. Playground manufacturer Forpark Australia's general manager Andrew Reedy is a member of the Standards Australia committee for playground equipment. He says it is worth remembering the relationship between acceptable risk and safety when trying to understand the concept of playground safety. “The standard is not about avoiding injury – it is about avoiding unacceptable injury,” he says, as this extract from the foreword of the 2004 standard for playgrounds shows.

“The primary aim of a playground should be to stimulate a child’s imagination, provide excitement and adventure in safe surroundings, and allow scope for children to develop their own ideas of play. Ideally playgrounds should encourage development of motor skills and present users with manageable challenges to develop physical skills and to find and test their limits. In order to provide these challenges, a balance must be found between risk and safety.

A playground injury that leaves a child permanently disabled is not acceptable. However, it should also be understood that children often lose interest in equipment that does not challenge them, and that children will experience minor injuries as they grow and learn, in playgrounds and away from them.”

Andrew Reedy says playgrounds have certainly changed a lot in the last few decades and that not all the change has been positive. “The appearance of playgrounds as well as the range of activity has changed dramatically but in some instances people have tried to be so different that some of the playability has been sacrificed. You look at the basic ways of using play equipment – climbing, sliding, swinging – and any number of different pieces have been created that all basically do the same thing,” he says. Interestingly Mr Reedy pointed to market influences, rather than safety restrictions, as a factor in making playgrounds less fun. “Councils are always looking for something different and at the end of the day there are only so many ways a playground can be made safely with the playability you’ll get on a traditional playground. The danger is that you sacrifice playability for appearance,” he says.



The trick, of course, is to design challenging play pieces that comply with the modern safety standards and appeal to children and adults alike. One piece of equipment that is proving very popular on modern playgrounds is the rope pyramid. With heights up to 8m, these structures nevertheless comply with the Australian standard because the free fall height is no more than 2.5 metres. “These have been assessed to show that a fall will always be broken on the way down,” Mr Reedy explains.

All abilities playgrounds

While playground manufacturers have been busily looking for ways to parcel up the climbing, swinging and sliding experiences in exciting and safe ways, a new approach to playground design has been developed in Queensland. The first ever ‘all abilities’ playground was built at Landsborough on the Sunshine Coast. It was opened in 2006 and won awards for its inclusive design. As well as allowing access to children with disabilities – and providing adaptations to play equipment to allow for universal usage – Pioneer Park integrates a range of play experiences into its design; emotional, social, cognitive and physical. Whereas traditional playgrounds place the emphasis firmly on the physical elements, the all abilities playgrounds see it as one of four key roles.


But what do these playgrounds actually look like, and are they any fun for the kids who don’t have a disability? Take a trip down to Pioneer Park and on first glance you’ll see that it looks similar to other well-designed modern playgrounds. And the sheer number of visitors proves that all children just love playing there. On closer inspection, you’ll find that there are a number of unusual pieces of equipment, including swings with two different styles of seating to enable all children to experience motion, a (fairly fast) flying fox with a safety harness and a carousel so children can spin while suspended in the safety of harnessed chairs. A rocking hammock provides a chill-out area so children can slow down when they need to. Catering for sensory enjoyment there is an artificial garden with spinning flowers, a vibrating rock as well as sand and water play tables. Cognitive skills are enhanced with touch tiles, cog panels and visual language tiles. Following the success of the Landsborough park the Queensland government has provided funding for a further 16 ‘all abilities’ playgrounds to be developed in Queensland including one at Kurrawa Pratten Parklands at Broadbeach due to open at the end of this year.

Over the last decade a lot of effort has been put into playground safety and councils are now keener than ever to provide healthy, free, outdoor activities for families to enjoy. The good news for parents on the Coast is that there are plenty of exciting, fun and safe playgrounds where children can enjoy testing their bodies and finding their limits while surrounded by all the beauty this part of Queensland has to offer. So get our there and have some fun!

8 Great kids parks on the Sunshine Coast

The Sunshine Coast has some of the best parks of any region and they are well maintained and spacious. Designed to capture children’s imaginations the following playgrounds incorporate many themes to stimulate and excite kids of all ages.

Pioneer Park, Landsborough
This park is a fully fenced multi-area all abilities playground with interesting and challenging play equipment to suit every child. There’s plenty of swinging and climbing action plus chill-out zones.

Jessica Park, Minyama
Bike tracks take you around a duck pond and past several pieces of play equipment (swings and rockers) before ending up at a pirate themed fully fenced playground that is great for all ages.

Cotton Tree Park, Maroochydore
On the foreshore of the Maroochy River this well-loved shaded park has a rope pyramid, rockers, spinners, slides and forts. Cycle paths surround the playground and there is plenty of open space to kick a ball around.

Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve, Maleny
Location, location, location! What this playground lacks in facilities it makes up for in outlook. A merry-go-round, rope spider and swings nestle under majestic trees next to a superb open grassed area. Combine a trip to the park with a bush walk in the rainforest afterwards.

Quota Park, Nambour
This park has a fully fenced area for tiny tots complete with cane train, swings and slides, plus a large walk-up play structure. Swings, rockers and a giant tube slide complete the picture.

Kevin Asmus Park, Buddina
A sunken ship, swings and slides combine with a life-like bike track complete with roundabouts, road signs, pretend café and petrol station.

Pirate Park, Gympie Terrace, Noosaville
A multi-area park on the beautiful Noosa River next to the yacht club. Swings, slides and climbing frames are all here to be enjoyed.

Eleanor Shipley Park, Moffat Beach
A great toddler park in a good location with pirate ship, bridges, slides and more.

For more information: In Paranoid Parenting (Penguin Books) Frank Furedi calls on parents to abandon their anxieties and be good parents. Stop seeing everything as dangerous, he says, and start having confidence in your own judgement.