We keep hearing that Kids These Days are mollycoddled and risk-averse, but is that really true? And guess who gets blamed when kids do take risks and things go wrong? This generation aye? They don’t let their kids climb trees and they can’t play bullrush. No lolly scrambles either! In my day I used to … Read more
Parents living in South Auckland were shocked, but probably not surprised, to learn this week that Auckland Council have been underfunding their playgrounds. Angela Cuming looks at some of the reasons why – and what is being done about it. So Hamilton City Council has finally done the right thing and voted to build new … Read more
Playgrounds without shade are a problem. That’s not an opinion, it’s a fact. Here Jacquelyn Collins lays waste to jerks who have no reason to attack mothers fighting for better playgrounds. Recently a group of Otago University researchers revealed what most parents already know: most playgrounds lack adequate shade. The researchers recommended planting trees with … Read more
Kids around the world are flexing their entrepreneurial muscles by making, selling and marketing the latest craze in tactile fun: slime. Jihee Junn talks to one Auckland-based 11-year-old who’s decided to cash in. Update, 22 August 2018: Katharina Weischede has launched a Givealittle campaign to fight kids entertainment giant Nickelodeon, which is opposing her ‘Slime … Read more
Opinion: So far the Hamilton City Council has ignored the pleas from the region’s families to save the city’s playgrounds, writes Angela Cuming. But will they listen to the United Nations Children’s Fund? Update: The Hamilton City Council CEO has contacted the Spinoff disputing elements of this piece, requesting that “The Spinoff acknowledge the article … Read more
When the council took a much-loved piece of playground equipment out of Grey Lynn Park, the kids fought back. Monkey bars – remember them? That moment you found the courage to walk upright on the top! And when you discovered you were strong enough to hold your own weight, swinging from one rung to the … Read more
What happens when your little darlings are spending the day at a holiday programme? They lie, they tell your secrets, they hurt themselves and others, says Thom Adams – and he wouldn’t have it any other way. For almost the entirety of my ‘big kid’ life, I’ve worked on school holiday programmes. For two weeks, … Read more
Emily Writes loves indoor playgrounds. Chipmunks, Junglerama, Jumparama, Laughalots – she’s never met a soft-play establishment she didn’t like. There’s just one problem: too many of her fellow parents don’t seem to understand the (unwritten) rules. So listen, she’ll say this only once… Oh Chipmunks, how I love thee. You are my office. You are … Read more