To wonder why communal parks are so biased towards boys

[arethereanyleftatall]

Looking around our parks, it occurred to me all the normal type equipment paid for by the council is geared towards a certain type of play.
You tend to see a slide/swing type area (great for everyone) plus football goals, skate parks, and basketball hoops.
Of course either sex could play on the last 3, and do, but in general, these 3 types of equipment are occupied by boys.
Or, let's take sex out of it - these 3 types of equipment are played with by energetic/sporty/rough and tumble type children.
Where's the community stuff for the children who prefer more gentle/imaginative role play/dance games.
Where's the netball courts, the fairy houses?
I'm actually not even sure what you would build to make it more even, but at our local park yesterday.... 8 approximately 10 year old boys playing football; about 10 teenage boys on the skate park;basketball hoop unused; swing area equal girls/boys.

Also side note - since the rise of Tik Tok it's more common to see youth dancing in public. So perhaps sign the kids up to Tik Tok & let them have at it.

@CatJumperTwat but realistically how often is the footy pitch booked out with a game? Can the kids not just freely turn their cartwheels 90% of the week there? It'd only be on training night & game day that they're in use.

I regularly walk my dogs on the local sportsfield. The goalposts are one of their favourite spots to cock a leg.

Your country is obsessed with football so it's funny to me to begrudge a soccer pitch when statistically a lot of people there seem to be very into the sport.

It's not like the sports field is cordoned off & unable to be used when games aren't on. It's just an expanse of grass, perfect for getting down for a dance!

I think I might just dance in the park next time am there, in protest for the awful gender discrimination children suffer in our public parks

#dancingforequality

Ironically pulled up tonight at a new park & saw there was a skate park & thought "oh how cool, wouldn't have expected to see one here"

I wasn't aware of how utterly sexist & discriminatory this was of me. Next time I see a skate park, will be sure to think twice.

I have 3 sons and they love hammocks and imaginative play. They are also hugely energetic and is this not just a child thing?
We go outdoors , to parks, sporty stuff all the time simply because if they stay at home all day they climb the walls. I am ten years a parent and I would say playgrounds and outdoorsy places are so , so much more frequented by boys. The vast majority of my friends have boys ( i would really love to know more parents of girls) as we met early morning outdoors. The playgrounds where I live are fanastic and cater to all children. I feel girls aren't encouraged enough in sports etc tbh

@Wimblingwombling why are stepping stones painted as ladybirds more appealing to girls than just plain wooden ones.

As an aside, you can’t paint wooden equipment like stepping stones because it is a slip risk. The play safety guidelines in the UK are stricter than those in other countries.

I think this is really interesting. I really enjoyed the invisible women stuff on park design. Utterly ignored by our local council when we raised the issue of equality (maybe placing loo near children’s playground rather than by new expensive MTB provision. Equally they have redesigned park so main entrance will be trying to get past where all the MTBers (mostly men I predict due to caring responsibilities etc..) will father.
I saw in Austria that they have some days where the skate provision is reserved for girls. And enforced so they are free from the male gaze and boys can’t come along and heckle. Was really sad to hear that a young neighbour (14) has been put off skate boarding after all the hassle. Even her own cousin didn’t recognise her and shouted sexualised abuse at her as she and a friend skated past (she told her auntie and he apologised obvs but my point is that it is quite widespread).
I think even walking to and from the park and being in green space is really valuable. Trying to make girls conform to the male norm doesn’t work and isn’t fair. And is utterly unimaginative.

There are loads of girls at our local skate park. We also have local parks with a giant pirate ship used by all, large wooden/metal musical instruments used by all, walled rose gardens perfect for hide and seek, tennis courts, table tennis tables, boating lake, cricket pitches, football pitches, BMX trails, a big wooden castle with ramparts and various slides. All suitable for all. YABU

Your trying to find issues where there isn't
Many parks have tennis courts but they usually have to be paid and booked
Running tracks again are usually club owned and in breath your saying well the girls won't use because the boys are so how would it help
The reason a lot if things are not provided is due to cost and the fact a lot of things get ruined by older teens
The girls around here don't seen to have to much issue either mixing with boys or just using equipment
Not usually teenagers though as they don't really want to go to a park
Women sport on tv will only pick up when the audiences / spectators do, sport is in tv for the advertising money
How many of you go to the local womens games , ? If you want to change it that is how for sports
Same reason mens hockey isn't in much as it doesn't bring in the money football does

of course we should and we are alway working to make sure that any design ideas which come up are inclusive (although I have to say, teenage girls are very good at this without any input from us)

Non disabled teenage girls aren't who you should be asking on this.

But very many of the councils we speak to are doing a lot to promote more inclusive provision, it is on their agenda, it is being acted upon. There's still a long way to go, as the equipment manufacturers tell us, but it is on their agenda.

Have you actually gone out and had a look. Of course it is "on the agenda" and of course it is "being acted upon" What isn't actually happening is accessible playparks being built. It becomes something they "work with partner organisations" on, which means, charities have to raise the funding before it can be built. What isn't happening is that councils are designing and building parks with accessible equipment as part of the standard design.

However, the parks which have been designed with teenage girls in mind are very, very few.

But parks designed for any teenager to use if they choose are far more numerous.

So it's just for the boys

Plenty of teenage boys aren't going to challenge another group of boys either.

I worry about the sentiment that "most girls aren't into X sport" as though that's necessarily an innate aspect of being female, and not (at least in part) societal expectation. Many, many girls are into sports; we should be encouraging girls to use the sporting facilities and normalising that. Fairy doors - which was the OP's example - are not a logical alternative to sport. More diversity in the facilities available can only be a good thing, but making this a gender issue isn't, in my opinion, a good idea.

And, as an aside, the whole point of imaginative play is that it involves the imagination, and doesn't require much in the way of equipment.

To add my sons and I love baking, i really encorage art and reading but are very physical and we can't do any pottering the house all day as when we have tried they become agitated. We also do surfing lessons; v v few girls there , soccer, althetics , climbing etc, all geared for both sexes but way less girls participating, that's not the places or organisations involved fault at all.

That's why it's not good enough to say "girls can use football pitches, you're being sexist wanting them to have hammocks or Wendy houses!"

Teenage girls don't want wendy houses.

Well I think it's primarily because the funding and political push is for sporting equipment, not things that encourage imaginative play, as health and fitness is the driving factor.

That boys dominate sporting spaces, is the underlying issue.

I also think its trying to find an issue where there is none also. I think it's more that girls are brought to these places or sporting events enough rather than the place or facilities.

*girls aren't brought

@CatJumperTwat

I for one wasn't interested in football because don't enjoy contact or team sports.

Most girls don't. That's why it's not good enough to say "girls can use football pitches, you're being sexist wanting them to have hammocks or Wendy houses!"

Do you have the statistics to back up your claim that ‘most girls don’t like football or team contact sports’? Thought not, because it’s complete tosh. I know just as many women who enjoy football, cricket and rugby as men, likewise I know plenty of men who don’t like them. I’d also have rather stuck pins in my eyes than played in a Wendy house as a child. Thankfully outside the of the mumsnet echo chamber most people now realise gender is a social construct and no one should be expected to behave a certain way just because if their biological sex.

I always thought that parks like this, were to encourage children to be active, and get some good exercise outdoors. I think that boys and girls can easily share all the same equipment. What you class as fairy houses etc, really does not have a place in outdoor activities, but only in these soft play centers.

I’ve asked my dd her opinion on this- to note she plays football for a local team. At school she can’t play because the boys don’t pass to her and assume she’s useless because girls don’t play ‘football’. It’s a societal issue that needs a lot of work. Most schools don’t provide football or basketball teaching for girls. They focus instead on netball, hockey etc. I totally disagree with this but I find it interesting that it’s mainly the sports boys are taught at school that are catered for in parks.
My dd has basically said she would be too intimidated by boys to play football with them or basketball/skateboarding.
The exercise equipment in our parks is good and seems to be used across genders
The tennis courts in our area are free

I think that boys and girls can easily share all the same equipment.

Young children, yes. For older children and teenagers, no. Sadly girls often have very good reasons for not feeling able to share equipments and spaces with boys.

@Wimblingwombling are you talking in the playground or school team ?
Either way take up with school, but in playground some boys won't be included either if not good enough?
Re : sports football no such thing as boys team as girls can play , they can also play for all girls team
Schools around here offer for girls rugby , football ( 2 teams all girls or boys mixed team) hockey , netball and rounders
Athletics, netball
Boys: rugby , football , athletics , basketball
Pitches in parks as you know will be football as they pay to use them , same as some rugby ( although rugby have more private use space )
Netball courts again are usually built as sports facilities where leagues are run as will be multiple pitches

An aside we have a very large group if girls and ladies at our local rugby club, boys numbers are massively down on years ago
Lots of boys don't like sport , lots if girls do
Those of you up in arms seem to be the one playing gender into it and assumptions
I don't think there are many teenage girls who want to go down the park and play in a actual park is there , same as most teenage boys

@worriedatthemoment I think everyone agrees that girls and boys can play the same sports. The issue is why this isn’t widely happening. In part the issue starts at school. Sadly no girls
Play football at break time - they don’t get teaching in it and are mocked by the boys because it isn’t a girls sport. The same could be said that boys aren’t taught netball etc. Yes, I have brought it up with the school and they have listened and now offer girls football teaching. But can we truly say that across the Uk most schools
Offer boys typical ‘girls’ sports and vice verse? Sadly not. Therefore, why are there so many football and basketball areas in parks and no alternative so called ‘girls sports’ facilities. I’m totally against gender sports but the question is on park
Provision and whether it suits girls. Until the gender stereotypes are removed girls won’t feel comfortable playing with boys- partly because boys don’t allow them to feel comfortable, partly because they don’t get teaching in it. I think many are arguing the same point but some aren’t acknowledging that girls feel uncomfortable and that there is an issue that needs addressing there

Ds has just started secondary school and I was pleasantly surprised to see that boys and girls all do the same sports. After half term DS is doing netball and football is on the year 8 curriculum for all.

It’s a small step but it’s a step towards not having “girls sports” and “men’s sports” as two completely alien concepts

Aren’t you just gender stereotyping here though? I see loads of girls at our local skatepark, some are actually quite good 😂

@cheeseismydownfall

I think that boys and girls can easily share all the same equipment.

Young children, yes. For older children and teenagers, no. Sadly girls often have very good reasons for not feeling able to share equipments and spaces with boys.

But how is different equipment going to solve that? It's a much bigger issue in society than playgrounds and equipment.

WimblingWombling - that reflects my dd’s experience, too. It’s all very well for people to say she could play football in the park if she chose. In practice, the boys won’t let her. Even at school, with supervision, they make it clear with shoves and lack of passing that she’s not welcome.

And my older dd hates ball sports but loves monkey bars and other more gymnastic style equipment - but there isn’t any in local parks, so she no longer get used them.