Safety Second?

I agree in thinking that play can be dangerous, although I don't think we should be pitting kids against each other on the playground. Rather, we could look at the limitations of danger on a usual playground setting. In contrast to the dilapidated ruin, modern playgrounds have undergone a transformation to a cushier landscape. Blacktop is replaced by woodchips is replaced by old ripped up tires. When I visited my old elementary school, I discovered that the school completely got rid of the see-saws—probably because, you guessed it, a kid got hurt.

Pain is bad, I understand that, but the playground is shifting to an environment that coddles children. By taking away every instance of danger, children will rarely ever find chances to accidentally hurt themselves and subsequently deal with it. Since society is taking away these possibly dangerous structures, children no longer need to learn the values of being careful and responsible.