Focusing too much on safety may hinder children’s development by making them anxious and risk-averse. Removing unsafe play equipment could increase height phobias, as children have not learned to overcome such challenges. Studies show that falls before age 9 decrease fear of heights as teenagers. Sedentary playground activities are prevalent among urban preschoolers, and softer surfaces may lead to more arm fractures due to a false sense of security. Children’s playtime decreased by 25% from 1981 to 1997.
An increased focus on safety could be detrimental to children’s development because it could make them more anxious and less prone to taking risks later in life. Many psychologists believe that removing play equipment, such as high jungle gyms, that have been deemed unsafe may actually increase the likelihood that children have height phobias. This is thought to be because children have never been exposed to the hazards of climbing and thus never learned to master and gradually overcome such challenges. Proponents of this theory point to studies showing that children who experienced falls on the playground before the age of 9 were less likely to have a fear of heights as teenagers.
More information on playgrounds:
One study found that 90 percent of urban preschoolers engaged in sedentary playground activities instead of active play.
Cases of arm fractures in children have risen in Australia and Britain after playgrounds replaced hard flooring with softer surfaces. Psychologists believe this could be caused by a false sense of security, which makes people more likely to engage in risky behavior.
Children’s playtime decreased by 25 percent from 1981 to 1997, according to research.
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