Myth: Health and safety rules take the adventure out of playgrounds

The reality

We’re all for playgrounds being exciting and challenging places. Children should have fun in them, get fit, develop social skills and learn how to handle risks.

What’s important is to strike the right balance – protecting children from harm while allowing them the freedom to develop independence and risk awareness. Exciting and challenging playgrounds do this, poorly maintained or badly designed ones don’t.

Health and safety laws don’t stop children having fun but ill-considered and overprotective actions do.