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.

A fucking fairy house?

This is really depressing to read.

I don't know if some of You live in really rough areas or even on another planet but I have never experienced this in any park. I am 40 with 4 dc ranging from 12 to 25 so have spent my fair share in parks over the years. Parks are for Everyone to use and are for daily exercise and letting off steam. By making (what I would consider) an absolutely ridiculous campaign for bloody fairy doors and hammocks its you people who are causing damage to girls, not teenage boys or people playing football.

Teach Your daughters from a young age that they are equal and can use whatever equipment they want, don't campaign for stupid things like hammocks and seats and places to dance it is you 'the campaigners and presume parents that are causing a divide.

@Branleuse

We need to get more girls into sport and active play. Its not for boys.

This in bucket loads

@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!"

What rubbish. At my DD’s school sport is strong, there are plenty of girls playing netball, basketball, hockey, even rugby and football. Some of my DD’s friends enjoy playing netball outside of school.

@bendmeoverbackwards (your name sounds like an extremely uncomfortable sex position thanks for the giggle)

Completely agree! At my girls' school the girls on sports scholarships were very popular. Saturday sport was a big thing in school culture.

It's pretty sexist to say "Most girls don't like sports" but perhaps they meant that most girls don't like contact sports?

Try telling that to those cool alt looking Roller Derby girls! What about Ronda Rousey, UFC star? Pretty sure worldwide she has made judo more popular for young girls.

Most schools don’t provide football or basketball teaching for girls.

Most? Because that isn't the case where I am. All kids do all sports and there are girls and boys after school rugby and football. It is part of the curriculum.

It’s excellent if schools do but sadly it’s not the case round here. Unfortunately girls participation in sports is a a big issue and a large part of that is the fear of judgement and not offering a variety of sports. Of course we know girls who enjoy all sports but the problem is a serious one that needs addressing and shouldn’t be brushed under the carpet. This may be interesting reading
sportengland-production-files.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/insight_go-where-women-are.pdf?VersionId=eYAoAledAKaO0lngZqC6_DFYjF7_rfAI

Hopefully the increased in Women’s sports being televised will help encourage more women into sports overall. This year things like the women’s Rugby League, the Hundred and women’s football have all been much more visible which has to be good.

I am no cricket fan but I loved how the Hundred had Men’s and Women’s game both being given exactly the same levels of coverage

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

Exactly. And it is what will happen if we build netball courts and wendy houses. Boys will just take them over too. So, the issue we have to sort is about boys taking over and girls not feeling they can go in to a space.

Just another point before I go out.

Many many times over the years I have witnessed Parents and tbh mostly Mothers in the park with their Young girls and the girls will see a ball or a group of kids playing football and go running towards it, 99.9% the Mother will call them back with something along the lines of 'Come on Daisy, leave the big boys alone, you'll get hurt by the ball'.

Is this doing Girls any favours? Let them go! See how the older kids react, you might be surprised.

Again with the skate park, I have seen Teenage boys on numerous occasions showing younger children (yes even girls) how to stand on the board properly or how to go down a ramp on their bike safely.

If parents drum into their Daughters from a young age (which they do) that they are not welcome there or they may get hurt its no wonder as they get older they don't have the confidence to join in.

"
‘Places for Girls’, White Arkitekter’s research project into inclusive public spaces was kick-started by some unsettling statistics from predominantly gender-equal Sweden: while use of play spaces may be equally split across genders in the younger age groups, in park space planned for teenagers a disturbing disparity begins to emerge, with use among young people reflecting an 80/20 boy-girl gender imbalance, and youth club spaces exhibiting a similar split of 70/30. "

open-city.org.uk/blog/why-do-girls-use-playgrounds-less-than-boys

'During the study period, 2,712 children were observed, and 43.5% were girls (Table 2). Among girls, 50.4% were categorized in the 0 to 5 years age group, followed by 39.2% in the 6 to 12 years age group and 10.3% in the 13 to 18 years age group. Among boys, the 6 to 12 years age group was most frequently observed (42.3%) followed by 36.6% for the 0 to 5 years age group and 21.1% for the 13 to 18 years age group.

...
Examination of the fixed effects indicated that significant variation existed in thresholds (intercepts) across all park activity areas between sedentary activity and vigorous activity (intercept 1) but not between sedentary and walking (intercept 2) ( Table 3). Controlling for predictor variables, girls across all park activity areas were equally likely to be observed sedentary as they were to be observed walking (moderate intensity activities).'

www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2015/14_0532.htm

70 percent of girls (and 44 percent of boys) believe it is not wise to try and share spaces already occupied by older boys, thus foregoing any attempts at participation. 82 percent of girls (and 47 percent of boys) who did make relevant attempts were turned away. In the case of girls acts of rejection were often accompanied by sexual insults, as well as threatened or actual sexual aggression.

www.wien.gv.at/english/administration/gendermainstreaming/examples/parks.html

I could go on. Girls aren't using parks. Their use falls off in every country that has studied the issue.

The girls who want to play sports find themselves being excluded by the boys. The girls who would rather do something else find themselves excluded through lack of provision.

If we want more girls to participate in sports, they need to feel welcome. They clearly currently don't feel like parks are spaces for them.

@ZeroFuchsGiven

Just another point before I go out.

Many many times over the years I have witnessed Parents and tbh mostly Mothers in the park with their Young girls and the girls will see a ball or a group of kids playing football and go running towards it, 99.9% the Mother will call them back with something along the lines of 'Come on Daisy, leave the big boys alone, you'll get hurt by the ball'.

Is this doing Girls any favours? Let them go! See how the older kids react, you might be surprised.

Again with the skate park, I have seen Teenage boys on numerous occasions showing younger children (yes even girls) how to stand on the board properly or how to go down a ramp on their bike safely.

If parents drum into their Daughters from a young age (which they do) that they are not welcome there or they may get hurt its no wonder as they get older they don't have the confidence to join in.

And they don't do it because 80% of the time, they get sexist abuse.

You're victim blaming. This is not the fault of girls, it's boys who are the problem.

@sirzy I completely agree- we need a societal shift with coverage. I’m also keen that girls can do any activities for exercise- not just football and rugby etc. anything that keeps them active and makes them feel positive! My dd plays football, tennis and swimming out of school- I continually encourage her and try and change the perception of what she hears in the playground. My encouragement is just to be active not that she has to be the best

Unfortunately girls participation in sports is a a big issue and a large part of that is the fear of judgement and not offering a variety of sports.

The blocks on our curriculum for first year are football, swimming, rugby, netball, dance, trampolining, gymnastics. Next year they will have badminton, tennis and hockey added in to the mix. All done by the whole class. The inter-house sports events every month include water polo, cheerleading and yoga with a selection of the ones already mentioned. Again these are done by the whole house.

Looking at the English curriculum, a similar mix of sports are on those. It would appear your situation isn't typical.

@boredzelda- sadly I don’t think it’s the case but would be great if it was. I’m not sure if you’ve looked at the link I put up?

99.9% the Mother will call them back with something along the lines of 'Come on Daisy, leave the big boys alone, you'll get hurt by the ball

And 99.9% of the time I've seen the parents let the girl play with the ball. there, I've balanced your anecdata.

70 percent of girls (and 44 percent of boys) believe it is not wise to try and share spaces already occupied by older boys, thus foregoing any attempts at participation. 82 percent of girls (and 47 percent of boys) who did make relevant attempts were turned away.

Which shows the problem is pretty dire for boys too. Building wendy houses won't fix that.

sadly I don’t think it’s the case but would be great if it was. I’m not sure if you’ve looked at the link I put up?

It had nothing about sports being offered on the curriculum in England.

children who prefer more gentle/imaginative role
err - wouldn't they want to create their own imaginitive spaces?
creating a prescribed "fairy house" that will undoubtedly get littered with rubbish, dog shit and the detritus of drug taking (if anything like quiet corners in parks near me) doesn't quite hit the mark.

And they don't do it because 80% of the time, they get sexist abuse

You're victim blaming. This is not the fault of girls, it's boys who are the problem

Im not victim blaming at all, this really is a world Ive never come across, My 13yo dss is out now, at the park, with girls and boys

My 15 yo ds is out now swimming, with girls and boys.

Like I said upthread, I can only put it down to the area you live in as this just does not happen round here.

Everyone mixes, no-one is pushed out, the local teams all have male and female players and they are welcome whatever their sex.

Re: skating

As I understand it, girls get razzed if they are walking around holding a skateboard (ie have a skateboard to look cool)

This was so in the 90s, obviously times have changed but the cliche of girls walking around with a skateboard but not riding it was frowned upon in skating scene

@ZeroFuchsGiven I agree, especially at an age where they're just starting to notice the opposite sex.

The teasing could be misguided flirting, or it could just not be as widespread as people claim.

By early teens don't boys & girls want to hang out with each other & kiss behind the sheds?

I think there is a lot to be said for having a stage/performance area with appropriate mobile phone stands for doing group dances, stunts etc and recording them.

I also think mixed aged areas, (such as places older people can bring chess or backgammon sets as in some other countries) would make them feel safer for girls.

@Wimblingwombling you know why there are football pitches , they are not proper basket ball courts just hoops

@ZeroFuchsGiven

And they don't do it because 80% of the time, they get sexist abuse

You're victim blaming. This is not the fault of girls, it's boys who are the problem

Im not victim blaming at all, this really is a world Ive never come across, My 13yo dss is out now, at the park, with girls and boys

My 15 yo ds is out now swimming, with girls and boys.

Like I said upthread, I can only put it down to the area you live in as this just does not happen round here.

Everyone mixes, no-one is pushed out, the local teams all have male and female players and they are welcome whatever their sex.

So your two boys are out enjoying sports

@smoko round here they generally do hang around with each other as teens but not to go and play in the park