Fellow Pinheads:

    Having just returned from a seven week sojourn in Denmark and Norway, I
must report my observations about children's playgrounds.  There is a huge
initiative afoot to use all of the elm trees which are presently dying of the
occursed Dutch Elm Disease, for some socially edifying purpose.  There is
quite a lot of sculpture being carved from the elms, but the really neat
product being made is children's playgrounds.  The interesting aspect of
these playgrounds is that they all include some opportunity for the kids to
climb as high as 3 meters off the ground.  Most of the climbing structures
have no safety provisions other than a sand bed around them.  Often as not,
the climbing area is just a carved post with hand and foot holds like rock
climbers use for practice.

    I have been amazed to see these play areas with my American fear of
litigation.  The Scandinavians assume that whatever helps a child develop
hand coordination and physical strength is it's own justification.  There is
an attitude that children will fall and that it's good for them to play and
climb and fall-less than 3 meters.  I found this to be a very interesting
attitude in a culture which goes to great length to protect the well being of
it's children.  I suppose that socialized medical care and torte laws may
come into play somewhere in the whole equation.

Regards,

David J. Dauerty

To The Line Timber Frames