To wish there were more and better childrens playgrounds

[amberlene]

I've just come back from a holiday in France. One of the really nice things is that there are more childrens playgrounds, they are also bigger and more imaginative. I wish there were more here. It makes things a lot easier, children love them and they are more sociable.

Lots of amazing parks in london, as well as lots of small local ones. Never far from a decent bit of open space to play.

I live on the boarder of East London/Essex and I can think of 4 really lovely playgrounds here, all with nice cafes/tea rooms.

I can also think of at least 4 or 5 crappy ones though.

There are lots of fantastic parks and playgrounds here in bristol and they are a godsend. Practically the only place you can go for free these days.

In fact, I've been thinking about how much things have changed since I was a child with regard to things like playgrounds and playgroups and there has been a vast improvement.

Most parks, when I was a kid (not THAT long ago) were just a set of swings, a slide, climibing frame and, if you were lucky, a roundabout. These days they have all kinds of crazy and wonderful apparatus and a lot of thought and work seems to have been put into them.

Same thing with playgroups. When I was a child it was a school sports hall with benches around the outside for the parents to have a cup of tea and a couple of dolls, prams and balls etc for the kids to play with.

I go to playgroups at local sure start centres and they have playworkers, sensory rooms, messy play, outdoor play, lovingly designed baby areas, reading areas etc. I'm almost jealous!

We are really lucky. What was a muddy field when I was growing up has been transformed into a local park with a toddler play area, a fort, a big rocket thing for teenagers, a fairy wood, a bmx track, a skate park, football pitches, a cafe, a community centre and a sort of tai chi area. It's fantastic. They hold events, bush crafts, fetes, plays......It really is awesome.

It was sorted out by a local group who worked their socks off and got lottery funding. Maybe you could look into starting something similar where you live? (If you have the time and energy)

West Scotland here, we have 3 local parks. One with a free petting zoo, another has a zip line thing the third has a lake. Plus there's little ones in most schemes which isn't bad either.

Where do you live that they are empty all year round Ragged? I would say that's quite unusual?

Leicester, Nottingham, the towns & villages near those cities, and all over Norfolk, last 15 yrs. DS used to go to playgrounds in minimum 3 hour blocks. I used to be so amazed at people who could pop up there for just 20 minutes.

On a sunny warm day in school holidays some playgrounds are slightly busy. Eaton Park in Norwich is usually heaving for at least a spell and Jubilee park playgrounds in Lboro are rarely totally empty. But most playgrounds are fairly empty most of the time. Home-ed friends have commented on the same.

South west here, and we have a lot of great parks. The best ones are a short car ride away, but you can also catch the bus. I have 2 within a 2 minute walk in my small housing estate, plus 2 basketball courts and a 5 aside football pitch. Plenty of 'designed' play opportunities, but sadly lacking in woodland, streams etc.

Nottingham here - water park thats free 20 minute walk away also has decent size park attached, decent size park 10 minutes away, skate and bmx park 20 minutes away and 20 minutes by tram takes me to an award winning park. Then theres the arboretum or wollaton hall park another 25 minutes or so by public transport.

I'm in the SE and although there are lots around my area, there is only one actually good one. There are two others around a 20minute drive away. The rest near me are dirty, often broken and somewhat dangerous, unimaginative and boring. They all need a serious upgrade. I think making parks better would be a serious help in fighting childhood obesity. I think it should be a priority.

Sanity, do you mind sharing where the FC one is? It sounds amazing,

Just to say the ones round me would definitely come under the empty and ragged category.

Tbh they are more used by teens at night to smoke weed.

I used to live in Croydon, playgrounds were good but totally rammed with kids - there should be more there!

Now living in Switzerland, our local park has water in the sandpit. Is that a splash zone? We like it very much.

I live in Rutland. Our council ought to be ashamed of their playground provision.

My parents live in South Ribble. They have some of the most amazing playgrounds in the country and I am insanely jealous.

I'm in NW England too. Fab playgrounds here. To be frank, though, I was born in 60s so every playground I take my dd (8) to is like Disneyworld.

It's the absence of hard concrete to break your head open on and rusty metal to cut yourself on.

I'm in Birmingham; the parks here have much better (and less lethal) playgrounds than when I was little.

I shouldn't have said it that way. I meant mostly empty most the year, not empty every day.

the one we were in today would have been mostly empty but for us & a constant flux of teenagers.

We have a great park because when the tatty old equipment was condemned people campaigned and fundraised to replace it. Councils can make developers provide parks too, but if people looking at new houses don't demand them they won't happen. Sadly when Councils want to renew play equipment there are likely to be as many people demanding that the play equipment is sited somewhere else.

I wish there were more playgrounds with equipment accessible for disabled children. There is a huge park not far from us, with an older children's side and younger children's side. The only thing ds can really access are the baby swings, of which there are 2, and they are (obviously!) always being used by babies!

If you google Forstty Commission, most of their places have brilliant wooden adventure playgrounds, plus a play trail with various things for kids (dens to build, trees with steps in to climb up, logs to balance on). Our nearest is an hour away, but it's worth the trip and you only pay for the parking.

Central London has tons of good playgrounds, I've just discovered Corams Fields and Battersea Park, though I knew about the Diana one.

Manchester is pretty good as is stockport - lots of small and a few fab big ones.

Hazey, Stanley Park in Blackpool has a swing for a child in a wheelchair. A kind of platform you park on that can then swing. Never seen it anywhere else. Now that IS rubbish.

We went to a park advertised as being accessible to all children in Devon, that had a wheelchair swing (which was broken and fenced off) the only other thing that worked there was the baby swing!

Something you generally get in France is playgrounds at motorway services. There are a few in the UK that have something but its pretty rare. I think that should be compulsory tbh.