Parks & Playgrounds

(photo of the Discovery Park from the Daily Herald)

I read an article from CityLab.com that talks about the history of playgrounds in the U.S. and around the world. It is a timeline introducing the first U.S. playground to the most recent, and all of the adaptations made to playgrounds over time. 

I chose this article because my research topic is about the role of playgrounds in children's everyday lives and the controversies associated with them.

I found it interesting because I was unaware of the modern day playground's history and the controversy about the safety standards. I had no idea the decisions that go into designing parks and how they affect children on physical and mental levels. An example of the controversy is: should parks have wood chips or foam flooring on the ground? Personally, I think parks should be more on the "dangerous" side.

The information in the article impacts me greatly because of my job. I am a full-time nanny to an 18-month-old and I am always taking him to the park. After reading this article, I realized that I do think about which kind of park I want to take him to, whether it be the wood chip parks that are more dangerous or the foam parks where I can let him run without fear of him getting hurt.

I think this article is trustworthy. Although there was an ad on the side, the author seems experienced and qualified. She is a former senior associate editor at CityLab. She included images and links that provided helpful information and that supported her points. She also provided information about other credible organizations such as The New York Times, the Consumer Protection Safety Commission, and NYC Parks.

Amanda Erickson. "The Politics of Playgrounds, a History". Citylab.com. 14 Mar 2012. Web. https://www.citylab.com/design/2012/03/politics-playgrounds-history/1480/