The Buckets by Greg Cravens for May 01, 2024

But wasn’t that awesome?

They got rid of those things on all playgrounds. They were to dangerous for children.

They didn’t even get it off the ground!

They’re dangerous. Ask Red (today’s Red and Rover).

In my day, we had a really high slide in our playground (as well as the roundabout of course) with a LOT of steps and a nice long slide down to the ground again. If anyone fell off that, it would have hurt even if the ground was not concrete around it. We were made of tougher stuff than the cotton wool wrapped kids these days.

Just put the kids in helmets, shoulder, knee, and shin pads with protective gloves. They’ll be fine.

I guess I’m among the last of the old-timey free range kids. Growing up in the ’50’sI was too busy crawling through culverts, exploring old vacant houses, wandering down creek beds barefoot, flying down hills on my bike, feet off the petals, and playing sandlot baseball to mess with playgrounds. I don’t think my little town even had one.

Boy were they fun, but boy did it hurt when you lost your grip.

I miss those days and still having knees that could do that.

I remember one time it had snowed heavy one night, and no, they didn’t close school. A few of us boys played in the snow at recess. Being wet and cold, we just said to heck with school and all went home. Two of my tattletale girl cousins called their grandmother, who called my mom so she knew it before I waddled home.

The trick is to sit with your feet firmly planted against the poles instead of using your hands sitting as close to the center as possible reduces speed and slippage.

Well you were certainly going nowhere fast.

Me neither. They always give you the runaround.