Video Games vs. Climbing Frames

My mum used to say to me, along with many others I presume: “You’ll get square eyes watching the TV for that long”.

Fortunately this never happened, although I do remember pondering and worrying about the idea many a time. The effect that this fabricated statement did have on me however, was give me an added incentive to get my wellies on and embark on countless days of fun and adventure.

This doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. Modern technology has sabotaged children’s outdoor play schedules, as they opt for the latest video games rather than climbing frames.

A recent study from Play England charity revealed that, out of 2000 children, 1 in 5 youngsters don’t go outside to play. How times have changed!

This staggering figure can be put down to a number of different reasons, ranging from games consoles to parental laziness. But what I struggle to understand is why children are sitting in the confines of their bedrooms playing the latest ‘shoot ‘em up’ (and why parents would be happy for them to do so) when they could be having a great time running around in the park? I absolutely loved playing out when I was younger and it was very rare that you would find me without a football attached to my foot or dangling from the top of a climbing frame like a possessed chimpanzee.

Obviously I understand, and have on many occasions been attracted to the lure of the PlayStation and Xbox; but the playground equipment that is available to children nowadays is phenomenal and constantly developing. Products like the Aero Tilt, Rota Glide and Air Glider are fantastic, exciting and dynamic products that weren’t available when I was younger. Not to mention the ground-breaking i-play that has completely revolutionised children’s outdoor play.

It isn’t right that some children are missing out on so much fun, and with the growing concerns about childhood obesity we need to be embracing the great outdoors.

So to all of the parents who think that their children are truly happy sat by themselves playing on the computer; put your boots on, take them to the park and let them loose on some cracking playground equipment!


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Hey Hey we're the Monkeys!

Many products tend to have an expiry date nowadays, with new fads, updates, gadgets and advances in technology constantly changing what’s hot and what’s not. So how do timeless classics brush off the impending force of advancement and still manage to not only hold their own in the market, but thrive under the pressures of ‘shelf-life’?

Monkey bars are a piece of playground equipment that has stood the test of time. Playgrounds, along with many things in society, have changed and developed over the years. There have been ground-breaking advancements in electronic play and cutting edge designs; however monkey bars are still one of the most used pieces of playground equipment. Tarzan wannabes can be seen swinging from playgrounds all over the country and will remain to do so for years to come.

Health and fitness has been at the forefront of playground design in recent years, and with child obesity issues being a hot topic, it is more important than ever for children to get themselves outdoors and exercising. Monkey bars provide excellent physical and technical challenges that promote upper body strength, balance and coordination.

Check out Playdale’s Adventure Trail range on our website for more information and the many different ways that you can fit a brand new set of monkey bars into your playground.

Go on, get out there and monkey around!

http://www.playdale.co.uk/