If no action is taken, a quarter of the playgrounds will disappear within five years. This is evident from research by Jantje Beton. Should children just stay on the couch and play games or find a place to play outside? We wonder: what kind of games did you play outside as a child?
Too few volunteers, replacing or adapting playground equipment is difficult due to rules and permits and some municipalities give the impression that they would not mind replacing a playground with parking spaces. For these reasons, playground managers say, it is difficult to keep things running.
Never play outside
Will the playground disappear as the last reason for children to put down their phones and go outside? One in five children plays outside every day, but almost one in six does so never.
What did you do when you used to play outside? Did you play football on the street or in the schoolyard? Or did you play gunpowder and hide and seek in the neighborhood? Were there ditches nearby where you could endlessly fish for tadpoles or jump over them? We would like to know from you: what kind of games did you play outside?