Europe: America's Playground
August 10, 2006 at 5:27 When we decided to move to Belgium, people told us time and time again what a great experience it would be for our children. Indeed, at 7 and 9 years, they seemed the perfect age for an overseas move. They were open to family adventures, excited about change, interested in the world around them, and able to find joy in everyday experiences. From the moment we first discussed the possibility of moving with them, it was all they could talk about.
We’ve now been living here for 18 months and in that time my children have traveled through the Netherlands, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom as well as all over Belgium. They’ve visited medieval castles and 18th century chateaus, they’ve seen world famous works of art, spectacular gardens, ancient cathedrals, Roman ruins, and many of Western Europe’s most famous landmarks. They have met children from Morocco, Estonia, Finland, Malaysia, Slovenia, Korea, Ukraine, Russia, Germany, England, the Netherlands, France, the Philippines, and of course, Belgium.
Yet I’m convinced despite their impressive travel resumes, what they’ll remember most about our years in Europe will be the playgrounds. On our first day in Brussels, they were thrilled to discover a small park near our apartment that had everything they loved: a slide, swings, bouncy teeter-totters, monkey bars, and a meandering waterway. This was just the beginning of exploring playgrounds across Europe.
No matter where we’ve been or what’s been on our agenda as we’ve traveled in Europe, there’s always been a playground nearby to entertain the children when they’ve had enough of museums, history, architecture, and sightseeing.
America devotes far less money and attention to parks and playgrounds than they do here, and playgrounds are seldom interesting for older kids. In an effort to keep everyone safe and reduce injuries and liability, playground designers have taken all the fun out of playgrounds. They’re generally brightly colored and great for preschoolers, but many no longer have swings, the slides are low or designed to be slow, there’s rarely anything that spins, and the climbing equipment doesn’t take you much closer to the sky.
European playgrounds on the other hand challenge kids and let them take risks, even if that means protective parents might get a bit nervous. There are rope courses, huge climbing pyramids, monkey bars, swings, radical see-saws, all manner of things that spin, and climb-and-glide type rides. There are slides of all heights and speeds, water troughs and pumps, giant plastic building blocks, merry-go-rounds, balance boards and lots and lots of sand.
Forget the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, Stonehenge, the Roman Coliseum, and the Grand Place. Who cares about cruising on the Seine, eating lunch along the Thames, or kayaking the Lessee River? Seeing paintings by Monet, Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Da Vinci, and Vermeer—no big deal. Never mind trodding through all the ancient castles and cathedrals and seeing sculptures by Michelangelo. When my children return to America, I’m sure the stories they’ll share with friends and classmates around the lunch table will involve the hours they spent climbing, sliding, and gliding in cities across Europe. And that’s fine—the important thing for us is that they’ve had a good time and created many happy memories. We have too.
Copyright 2006 Veronica McCabe Deschambault. All rights reserved.
August 10, 2006
Reader Comments (8)
I love a good playground. I really do. There's an art and a science behind it, but it becomes magic when full of children.
Funny - I never had a helmut when I learned to ride a bike and I survived...
Your kids are probably soaking in all the cultural stuff to which they are being exposed. You will be surprised to discover that sometime in the future. They are incredibly lucky, that's for sure. BTW, do they go to school at an American school, or at a Belgian public school?
Seriously though, I was just thinking the other day about how hard it is to find a decent playground. It's much harder than I thought it would be.
ps thanks for the comment
It's funny how I never saw one playground when I lived in Germany but then again we didn't have children so that explains it. :) Living overseas will be a totally different experience with a child. Thanks for the encouraging words.