Tag Archives: USA

Seattle blazes a hopscotch trail

Posted on May 16, 2013 | 8 Comments

Call it fate, call it something in the ether, or call it a sign of changing times, but word has reached me of a hopscotch game that will put ten-year-old Lilly Allen’s efforts to shame (not that we’re being competitive). Residents of Seattle are organising a hopscotch trail that is set to go for nearly 2 miles across the Central District – and it’s happening in a couple of weeks!

Seattle Hopscotch CD logo Continue reading →

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Posted in Outdoor play, Urbanism

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The sorry state of neighbourhood design in America: a mother writes

Posted on January 22, 2013 | 38 Comments

After my last blog post about German children having more everyday freedom than their English peers, Andrea – a German-born woman who now lives in the USA – got in touch to leave a comment. She had some revealing things to say about the differences between her home and adopted countries, and has agreed to let me share them more prominently. She paints a depressing picture of car-dependence and isolation: a stark comparison with her experiences in Germany. Here is her story.

Road near Bailey School, Minnesota.

Woodbury, MN. Source: Strongtowns.org

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Posted in Mobility, Parenting, Public policy, Urbanism

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After Newtown, a plea for perspective

Posted on December 17, 2012 | 17 Comments

In amongst all the words being written in the wake of the shocking shootings in Connecticut, I want to draw your attention to a calm, reasoned piece by my friend and fellow advocate for children’s freedoms, Lenore Skenazy. She reminds us how today’s media removes time and distance, and leaves us all helpless in the face of the raw pain of people we feel we know. “It feels like terrible things are happening to our children all the time, everywhere,” she writes. “Nowhere is safe.”

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Posted in Risk

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News flash: children with disabilities also have an appetite for adventure

Posted on August 28, 2012 | 4 Comments

Photo of aaron fotheringhamMy city is about to host the Paralympic Games. The prospect of watching the talents of disabled sportspeople has got me thinking about the lives of children and young people with disabilities. Just like their non-disabled peers, they have an appetite for risk and adventure. By way of a demonstration, I would like to introduce you to Aaron Fotheringham.

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Posted in Risk

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Please Kidshealth, give parents (and kids) a break

Posted on June 28, 2012 | 12 Comments

girl jumping off swingThe US non-profit agency Kidshealth – which claims that it runs the #1 most visited website for children’s health and development – has eight web pages of guidance for parents on playground safety. Page 6 includes the following advice: “Kids should always sit in the swing, not stand or kneel. They should hold on tightly with both hands while swinging, and when finished swinging, stop the swing completely before getting off.” Continue reading →

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Posted in Learning, Parenting, play, playground, Risk

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It’s time to take a thoughtful approach to bullying

Posted on April 11, 2012 | 16 Comments

bully movie logoIn a post on her ‘Free Range Kids’ blog last week, Lenore Skenazy questions whether the US is in the midst of a ‘bullying crisis’. She quotes statistics from a piece in the Wall Street Journal that showed dramatic declines in both the fear of attack (down from 12% in 1995 to 4% in 2009) and actual victimisation (where rates have fallen fivefold). Continue reading →

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Posted in Education, Risk

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