Image courtesy of Bernard Spragg.
For many, playgrounds are central to childhood memories: begging our parents to go to the park or playing on the monkey bars with friends. As time passed, the hours we used to spend playing outside turned into hours spent on screens. Laughing and playing games outside with friends shifted to mindless scrolling.
Having access to playgrounds has clear positive effects on both physical and mental health, while also teaching life lessons for all ages such as how to problem-solve, work collaboratively with others, and keep our moods up by doing physical exercise. Teenagers should have access to these facilities to continue this physical and mental learning, as well as have a fun way to unwind during school.
Students are often on devices throughout the lunch period. Having the option of playgrounds at lunch could help push them away from phones and toward quality time with friends.
According to psychologist David Elkind in his book The Power of Play, “Spontaneous play fosters healthy mental and social development and sets the stage for academic learning in the first place.” So, following that logic, having playgrounds in middle and high schools would not only improve students’ mental and physical health but would also help students succeed academically.
A study by the California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences and Psychology revealed that “mobile addiction not only has physical effects, there are psychological and academic impacts as well. Stress, anxiety, sleep deprivation, and depression have all been related to excessive mobile phone use.” Just from my observation, at school, students are often on devices throughout the lunch period. Having the option of playgrounds at lunch could help push them away from phones and toward quality time with friends.
Playgrounds at elementary schools often consist of traditional elements like slides and monkey bars. While the intentions and joy of the playground would remain the same, middle and high school playgrounds could offer a more diverse set of activities.
Some things that could be included in an adult playground—one that embraces childlike joy while also adjusting for a more mature demographic—are climbing walls, swings, walking paths, and outdoor gym equipment. Playgrounds of this sort have been built in the middle of public parks in Toronto, New York, and Germany. At M-A, these could be implemented in open spaces like the Green or the G-wing blacktop.
People may object to having playgrounds with high school kids because it could get rowdy, as these kids are now older and stronger. While this is true, these areas are already monitored by staff members, who would continue doing so with new equipment. Additionally, in order to prevent overcrowding, there could be limits on the amount of kids allowed at any given time.
Some things that could be included in an adult playground—one that embraces childlike joy while also adjusting for a more mature demographic—are climbing walls, swings, walking paths, and outdoor gym equipment.
Having playgrounds would also just be an enjoyable experience for most students, helping reduce the stress of high school. Junior Zoe Gostyla said, “I loved playing on playgrounds when I was little, and I still feel like it’s important to connect with your inner child even when you’re older.” Freshman Ivy Watrous also mentioned that “In elementary school, we would get all our energy out and be able to focus as a result. But now, for brunch and lunch, we just sit and talk. That’s not really sustainable because we’re growing and developing and we need physical activity. Also, it would make us spend less time on our phones and hang out with people outside of our friend groups”.
Altogether, playgrounds positively impact high school students’ mental health and academic strengths, while also establishing more community within the student body. And if you don’t care about these scientific aspects, just ask yourself: who doesn’t love swings?
