Are Hong Kong’s super-safe and boring playgrounds failing our children?
Critics say officials favour a risk management model that sacrifices fun, excitement and the keys to happy development
When Hong Kong officials decided to glue down pebbles that were originally removable in a play area at Victoria Park, little did they know their decision would upset tens of thousands of children.
Sirius Yip Shing-yuk, 6, was one of the unhappy youngsters. He felt strongly enough in February to write an open letter to the Leisure and Cultural Services Department head, Michelle Li Mei-sheung. The LCSD manages more than 600 playgrounds and parks.
“When I was a baby, my father and mother often brought me to the pebble field at Victoria Park,” the letter, written in Chinese, read. “But now the pebbles are gone and they are all stuck to the ground. I am very disappointed.”
The department said the precaution was “in response to public concerns about park users’ safety”.
For years, parents and children’s concern groups in Hong Kong have complained about similar issues Sirius raised – a boring playground marked by monotonous design, an insufficient amount of play equipment and a lack of inclusive facilities.
The problems persist, they contend, despite society widely recognising that a fun, safe yet challenging environment can enhance a child’s development in many ways, such as their interpersonal skills and adaptability.
