Pict Oh
Established Member
Playgrounds today are much better equipped than when i was a youngster. Our local park has all kinds of equipment that confound me but i did manage to have a go of, and fall off, the zip wire.
In my day we had the basic set up off slide, swings, see-saw, roundabout and climbing frame. But which was my favourite?
The Slide
I favoured the prone descent on the slide but you had to wear the right frictionless clothes to achieve optimum velocity and quite often fell off the end into a muddy puddle or slid through something nasty that had been left on the slide.
The Swings.
I always headed for the swings first hoping that one would still have a seat. The slow tilt beginning leading to the full weightlessness arc used to thrill me. Then the textbook dismount at the top of the arc landing nonchalantly 10 feet away from the swings just topped it off.
The See-saw
I was never a see-saw type of person. You needed the co-operation of a friend on this piece of equipment and i was always a playground loner.
The Rounabout.
I loved the circular motion of the roundabout, i never felt queasy. We used to try to make the roundabout reach terminal velocity whilst everyone tried to cling on for dear life. Usually i was the runner who pushed the roundabout.
The Climbing Frame
What was the point of this when there were plenty of trees to climb instead. I had no use for the climbing frame.
I would therefore have to plump for the swings as my favourite.
As an aside, i have vague recollections of a 'witches hat' apparatus which i think was deemed too dangerous for even 80's children.
What was your favourite piece of playground equipment and why?
In my day we had the basic set up off slide, swings, see-saw, roundabout and climbing frame. But which was my favourite?
The Slide
I favoured the prone descent on the slide but you had to wear the right frictionless clothes to achieve optimum velocity and quite often fell off the end into a muddy puddle or slid through something nasty that had been left on the slide.
The Swings.
I always headed for the swings first hoping that one would still have a seat. The slow tilt beginning leading to the full weightlessness arc used to thrill me. Then the textbook dismount at the top of the arc landing nonchalantly 10 feet away from the swings just topped it off.
The See-saw
I was never a see-saw type of person. You needed the co-operation of a friend on this piece of equipment and i was always a playground loner.
The Rounabout.
I loved the circular motion of the roundabout, i never felt queasy. We used to try to make the roundabout reach terminal velocity whilst everyone tried to cling on for dear life. Usually i was the runner who pushed the roundabout.
The Climbing Frame
What was the point of this when there were plenty of trees to climb instead. I had no use for the climbing frame.
I would therefore have to plump for the swings as my favourite.
As an aside, i have vague recollections of a 'witches hat' apparatus which i think was deemed too dangerous for even 80's children.
What was your favourite piece of playground equipment and why?