What’s the deal with modern children‘s parks?

[Dockerty]

We live on a new build estate and there are a number of children’s parks dotted around. All of them are absolutely shit with pointless contraptions that don’t seem to do much. For example, the one closest to us has the following …

A stick thing standing up from the ground that spins around (it’s stiff so takes some effort to spin it even slowly).

A trampoline Mat thing that covers a hole in the ground, it barely moves.

A weird circle thing that again, spins - slowly.

Some other random shapes that move slightly.

There is never any kids in this park and instead teenagers use it to sit around in. My kids have absolutely no interest in this park.

Another park, slightly further away consists on a bowl thing that spins, (presumably you’re meant to sit in it but then you wouldn’t be able to spin it). A plastic circle thing that you sit on and it spins (slowly), some random dome type thing sticking up out of the ground. A very small climbing frame.

Again, kids have no interest in it and it’s always empty.

Now - yesterday we went to my sisters who lives on a council estate, they have managed to keep hold of their old style park. It consists of :

2 swing sets (older kids and toddler styles)
a big slide that goes down a big hill
a seesaw
a huge spiders web style climbing frame
a big wooden climbing frame with fireman’s pole, a slide and monkey bars
a zip line
A big round about
Balancing beams
Spring animals that you sit on

Not ONE pointless colourful contraption

It was full of kids.

What is it with the modern styles?? Do they not realise that kids don’t like them?? No matter how colourful they are?

I don’t know but I suspect modern housing estate developers are required to provide a certain number or size of park per X number of houses or something. They therefore put in the cheapest possible options to tick a box but don’t actually care if anyone uses it.

thats my guess based on no knowledge whatsoever 😂

I am in Ireland but have seen similar tiny playgrounds in new housing estates. They might be fun for a child age 2 - but are not challenging or exciting for any child older than that. Just a tick-box to say there is a playground there.

If you build a children's play park you can be sued if a child gets hurt using it. Local councils used to take the view that children get hurt sometimes but the positives outweigh the risks. Developers are not going to take that long-term, societal view. They are going to install something cheap and totally safe. They don't care whether your child learns to climb, swing and fall safely, they just want a nice photo in their brochure.

That would be my guess too.

Safety will definitely be a thing but accessibility is another. My council have recently re done our main park and so much of the equipment is accessible for wheelchairs now. I would have liked my children to get to play on the monkey bars like I did but iv never seen any for years.