‘Monkey bars are a recipe for disaster’: Meet the people who want to ban ‘dangerous’ playground equipment – but do they have a point?
- Calls are growing for monkey bars to be scrapped from playgroup equipment
- Some worried parents are deeming the playground-favourite too ‘dangerous’
- Nurse Kate Curtis says children offer suffer horrific injuries in the playground
Many parents encourage their children to play outside to get some fresh air and keep active.
But calls are now growing for one playground-favourite to be scrapped from Australian parks entirely.
Worried parents say monkey bars should be banned as they are too ‘dangerous’.
Many parents encourage their children to play outside to get some fresh air and keep active but some people believe current playground equipment is unsafe
Results of a 10 year study show that 686,409 children were taken to hospital with injuries, costing $2.1 billion.
A whopping 38.4 per cent of the injuries were caused by falls, often from playground equipment, with monkey bars deemed the most dangerous.
Concussions and broken bones are just some of the injuries emergency department nurse, Professor Kate Curtis, has seen children incur while playing on playground equipment.
Professor Curtis told 9News the worst injuries can be life-changing or even fatal.
‘A lot of people say that kids getting injured is just part of life,’ she said.
‘While that may be true, and they should learn from life, kids can’t learn if they’ve got a major head injury and can’t learn if they’re dead.’
Concussions and broken bones are just some of the injuries emergency department nurse, Professor Kate Curtis (pictured) has seen children incur while playing on playground equipment
Melbourne mum Sophia Galousis recounted her devastation when her precious six-year-old daughter Maria slipped from monkey bars at their local park.
Her daughter fell and fractured her arm, causing her intense pain.
Ms Galousis admitted she had to lock herself in the bathroom that night so she could cry: ‘Even a scratch breaks your heart so having her in that much pain, yeah it’s the hardest thing you have to do.’
She added: ‘I keep more of an eye on her which it shouldn’t be.
‘You should be able to go to the park, sit back, keep an eye on them but let them run around.’
Melbourne mum Sophia Galousis recounted her devastation when her precious 6-year-old daughter Maria slipped from monkey bars at their local park