To wonder why they make bins in playgrounds so appealing to children?

[cogitosum]

The bin at our local park is a big bear with an open mouth to put litter in. I'm quite laid back but it's pretty gross with flies swarming round etc and of course ds just kept wanting to go over and stand up against it and peer in etc. tbh I'm sure he'd be the same if it was a boring metal bin but I'm not sure why they deliberately make something that most parents would want to keep DCs away from so appealing to them!

Presumably so that it encourages the children to throw their rubbish in the bin instead of chucking it on the ground?

They can learn about insects as they bin their rubbish

Really?

So the kids will use it.

One of my major bug bears is litter, and I'm very surprised I've not yet had a smack off a dirty cow who gets my 'stare' when she deems it acceptable for her ill-mannered kid to throw it on the ground, and say nothing

My boys (6 & 3) always know to keep hold of their litter until they reach a bin

Ah yes of course! I hadn't thought of that! Does it really take a teddy bear bin to make children throw rubbish away?

Was only lighthearted thecuntureshow.. I don't expect councils to redesign their playgrounds based on my inability to prevent ds trying to get into their bin!

cogitosum, just tell your son not to go so close to the bin. You can even tell him to give his litter to you and then you throw it away.

As others have said it is to encourage the children to get used to disposing of litter in bins and keep their playground clean.

He's 11 months. He doesn't listen I just have to repeatedly move him!

I get that now.. Don't know why I didn't think of it!

Sorry, I mistakenly imagined him as being older.

Keep telling him. Try to distract him. Consider mentioning a consequence of going back to the bin, e.g. "we´ll have to leave the park".

You'd have a heart attack at my local playground

They have wonderful talking bins!

You pop the rubbish in and you can hear this 'munching' sound and a voice says, "Oooh that was lovely. Thank you!"

The first time I heard it, I was worried there was a local vagrant hiding inside...

I want to live in the same place as worra

Anyone else remember the scene in Gremlins where they are in the postbox?

Worra's post reminded me of that....

What about when the Nestene took over wheelie bins?

There were talking bins in a play park in Morecambe a few years ago, DD1 was quite a jumpy little thing at that point and damn near screamed when one talked! I spent the rest of the trip trying to avoid the 'monster bins' ...

I often think this as well - I spend loads of time trying to stop toddlers wanting to climb on/in/over the big green frog things. I say "it's a bin, it's dirty" while they stare blankly at me thinking "it's blatantly designed to be played on".

I agree with you OP - I don't think they thought through the consequences when they designed them tbh! And the ones with the big open fronts are hideous too!

Children this age are all with their parents and it's up to them to instil the idea of throwing litter in the bin - my kids religiously put their litter in the bin and it hasn't required singing/dancing/talking/monster/frog (delete as applicable) bins for them to acquire this life skill!

If it's any consolation, I have had exactly the same problem with my son and our normal, regulation, nothing even vaguely interesting about them bins at our local park (and in our bloody kitchen, the little bugger!). I think it's just the allure of something that you can look into added to the fact that they are told not to touch it - an irresistibly appealing combination!

Auntie good point (I don't like walking past shop windows with dummies still!) actually I think I would crap myself if I heard a bin speaking!

DS is almost 2 and still fascinated by bins. He's currently going through a phase (I hope it's a phase) of picking up leaves and carefully putting them in the bin. As long as he grows out of that one by autumn...