'Roundabouts' in parks - love them or hate them?

**Maza** · 11-06-2015, 01:40 PM

My DD always gravitates towards roundabouts in playgrounds and it is the one piece of equipment I am just not comfortable with. I don't mind if she just sits on them and lets me turn the roundabout but like most children she insists on pushing it herself with one leg on, one leg off a they do, or in some other random way. She did get dragged over by one when she was 3 and I saw it coming but wasn't able to prevent it in time. She wasn't too badly hurt but almost was as she tried to stand up whilst it was still spinning and it just missed her face. I'm all for letting them do risky play and gaining a few bumps and bruises along the way, but am I alone in thinking that roundabouts are just horrible?

**Mouse** · 11-06-2015, 01:58 PM

Originally Posted by Maza

My DD always gravitates towards roundabouts in playgrounds and it is the one piece of equipment I am just not comfortable with. I don't mind if she just sits on them and lets me turn the roundabout but like most children she insists on pushing it herself with one leg on, one leg off a they do, or in some other random way. She did get dragged over by one when she was 3 and I saw it coming but wasn't able to prevent it in time. She wasn't too badly hurt but almost was as she tried to stand up whilst it was still spinning and it just missed her face. I'm all for letting them do risky play and gaining a few bumps and bruises along the way, but am I alone in thinking that roundabouts are just horrible?

Oh, that took me back to my childhood - holding the bar, standing on with one foot, pushing round with the other, getting it going as fast as we could, then jumping off

We used to lie on it, hanging over the edge. Or take it in turns to sit on the middle bit! I do remember coming off a few times, but survived with just a few scrapes...then we had the fun of picking the gravel out of our knees or elbows

Sadly I haven't been on one for years due to feeling sick as soon as I spin round

To be honest, it's slides I dislike more than anything. When children go to the top of a tall slide I always fear they're going to topple backwards off it. I've never seen a child do that, but it's something that sticks in my mind.

**loocyloo** · 11-06-2015, 04:10 PM

My cousin used to have a 'witches hat' roundabout near her house ... we used to get it spinning really fast and then try to climb to the top before it stopped! My aunt used to have 'kittens' watching us!

Most parks round here, if they have roundabouts, have ones that you can't get under/trapped by... You just fall off! Although the forestry commision has a super one that you 'wind' up by pushing in one direction and the ropes twist round ... Then you let it go and it spins in the opposite direction really fast. It says it's for older children but loads of parents put little ones on it and then moan when they fly off. They really need to hang on tight! That roundabout makes me feel sick but my 5/6 yr olds plus love it!

**blue bear** · 12-06-2015, 10:31 PM

We don't have any roundabouts or see saws in our parks any more, 'health and safety'

**FloraDora** · 13-06-2015, 05:29 AM

I love roundabouts, sadly they are no longer a mainstay of playground like they used to be ...I expect the statistics of accidents has caused their demise!
My lads loved to visit local playgrounds when we used to summer in France ...over there they have been behind in all aspects of H&S in parks - in some areas now it's like the 50's, the roundabout in various forms was always there and played on the most. The language barrier was never an issue when it came to the team effort required to push a roundabout - it was always good to see. As was the see saws too.

Nowadays there are very few items in a local playground that requires children to communicate with each other to enjoy. All single things or runways just to pass each other on in the climbing frames and lots requiring an adult to assist.

We have a spinning seat, a one person roundabout, hold on tight and get someone else to spin it and it gives the sensation of a roundabout .....but impossible to get going on your own like the scooter action you could do on a roundabout with one foot on and one off or the run fast and leap on once you got it going!

My favourite playground activity to do as a child was to get really high on a swing and then jump off and see how far away you could land. Once I caught my lads doing this and immediately went into yellow hat mode with a lecture.....twisted ankles....broken glass.....broken legs......what a spoilt sport knowledge of H&S is !! Though my lecture was full of facts....as frequently someone was injured in our gang ....I just got away with it.

**natlou82** · 13-06-2015, 07:03 AM

Sorry - I hate them! It's the gap underneath that scares me most. Our local park does have one still and I do let the mindees go on (I'm not a spoil sport lol) but I stand in fear! tbh my main worry is little ones running toward that fast moving roundabout. We have another park not too far that I like to go to that has lots of co operative type of equipment such as I snake type swing which seats about 6 children and a jumping round see saw type thing, when I've only got schoolies I always go on these with them :-D. Perks of the job :-p.

**Maza** · 13-06-2015, 02:30 PM

Originally Posted by natlou82

Sorry - I hate them! It's the gap underneath that scares me most. Our local park does have one still and I do let the mindees go on (I'm not a spoil sport lol) but I stand in fear! tbh my main worry is little ones running toward that fast moving roundabout. We have another park not too far that I like to go to that has lots of co operative type of equipment such as I snake type swing which seats about 6 children and a jumping round see saw type thing, when I've only got schoolies I always go on these with them :-D. Perks of the job :-p.

I'm so glad it's not just me, lol! It's the gap that scares me too. You are absolutely right about the teamwork though Floradora. Mouse, my mindee did topple off the top of a slide once when he was about 1. He had just got to the top and then spotted a bus - he excitedly let go of the 'handles' to point at the bus, squeeling "bus, bu.. aaagh". Luckily I was right there and I caught him!

**lollipop kid** · 13-06-2015, 02:57 PM

Originally Posted by Maza

I'm so glad it's not just me, lol! It's the gap that scares me too. You are absolutely right about the teamwork though Floradora. Mouse, my mindee did topple off the top of a slide once when he was about 1. He had just got to the top and then spotted a bus - he excitedly let go of the 'handles' to point at the bus, squeeling "bus, bu.. aaagh". Luckily I was right there and I caught him!

At my local playgroup, they have a really tall slide. While the mums are in the kitchen having a coffee and a gab with their chums, their children are happily climbing up this thing unsupervised. I can't even look at it any more!

I am a bit of the odd one out at Playgroup, as my mindees are the only children who don't go near the slide (I just won't let them); and I have my coffee before I go so I can keep an eye on my little people.

At tidy-up time, I make a bee-line for the slide to put it safely on its side (as all of the adults are busy putting the toys away, so the children have a field day. I've given up making myself look like the slide police - I was always the one calling "who is supervising this child?" while watching said offspring banging their face on the steps on the way up, or worse, kicking another child behind them. So this seems like my best option).

L

**chris goodyear** · 13-06-2015, 08:53 PM

For those of us old enough to remember all these things in the parks - we survived didn't we! The thing I haven't seen for ages is the rocking horse which we all absolutely loved, never got much of a turn because it was always full of 6 or 8 children! ( can't remember how many now) Brilliant fun we all had.

**Maza** · 13-06-2015, 09:08 PM

Originally Posted by chris goodyear

For those of us old enough to remember all these things in the parks - we survived didn't we! The thing I haven't seen for ages is the rocking horse which we all absolutely loved, never got much of a turn because it was always full of 6 or 8 children! ( can't remember how many now) Brilliant fun we all had.

Yes, I used to love the rocking horse most of all too! Our local park had two of them and if you were in the front or the back seat you went the highest! They were just on the concrete floor too!

One park near us has a type of roundabout where the children all sit on a type of bicycle and have to pedal it to make it go round. There is actually great teamwork involved in that and I am very comfortable with that piece of equipment, but traditional roundabouts just give me the shivers!

**FloraDora** · 13-06-2015, 09:41 PM

Originally Posted by Maza

Yes, I used to love the rocking horse most of all too! Our local park had two of them and if you were in the front or the back seat you went the highest! They were just on the concrete floor too!

One park near us has a type of roundabout where the children all sit on a type of bicycle and have to pedal it to make it go round. There is actually great teamwork involved in that and I am very comfortable with that piece of equipment, but traditional roundabouts just give me the shivers!

Whilst we are reminiscing - for those that live in Northamptonshire ....I grew up not far from Wicksteed Park....Kettering.. ultimate playground ...whatever they produced and manufactured in the late 60's / early 70's went into their park....pre water slide and other small rides they have now. They had the most enormous slides .....I must have had stone brick hearts parents as I was forced to go on these ....I remember feeling really scared to go up the steps! Roundabouts galore....buffalo bill horse styles.... I used to cycle 10 miles ...at 8 with friends to go to this playground!!!! If I went on high days and holidays with parents, the knicker blocker glories were amazingly the best treat ever....
Look now in playgrounds and you often see' Wicksteed' impressed on the slide steps or somewhere on the Equipment.
A few years ago, my LEA stopped funding maintenance of outdoor play equipt....Wicksteed took over our contract....how crazy was I ? ....I was so excited that my childhood link was coming to fruit....100 miles away ...nobody had heard of Wicksteed.... I was really happy that they took over the contract and personally supervised the first inspection of equipment......I had not referenced my background to any of my staff....who did not understand my enthusiasm....roots....they never leave you. Haven't been to Wicksteed park in 25 years ....is it still great???

**Ripeberry** · 14-06-2015, 10:40 AM

I hate swings!

**Maza** · 14-06-2015, 10:52 AM

Originally Posted by Ripeberry

I hate swings!

Haha, it's like confession time! I don't mind swings. Funny how we all have our 'thing'. x

**greenfaerie** · 15-06-2015, 12:06 PM

I went on one the other day to push my daughter along. (With the one foot scooting method) and I went flying, hahaha. It was difficult to get up with one leg still on the roundabout, practically doing the splits. O_O Plus I was laughing so hard it was difficult to stand! Darn fast spinning roundabout!

I didn't see any child have trouble with it, but it was certainly dangerous for me. :S