The Canberra Govt Wants To Build Playground For Cheeky Senior Citizens

Have you swung on a swing lately?

If you answered no, close this browser.

Put down your phone.

Run to the nearest playground.

Throw that small seven year old off the equipment and start swinging, because swinging on a swing is the best.

It’s these simple pleasures of play that we miss as we grow older, partially because we’re afraid of looking silly, and partially because there aren’t many playgrounds that cater for people over five foot tall.

But the Canberra Govt want to change that.

According to the ABC, The ACT‘s senior population could be getting its own playground, where age and ability are no limit.

They’re supposedly already considering the idea, which is designed to aid exercise and mobility. Playgrounds specifially designed for senior citizens are already popular in several countries including the United States, Germany, Spain, England and India.

Urban planning expert at New South Wales University Nancy Marshall said the playgrounds provided specific equipment designed with lower resistance and range of motion to cater for seniors.

“The activities they do might look different from what you and I might do, but old people do have a joie de vivre about them,” Dr Marshall said.

“A seniors’ playground allows a public, free, accessible spot to have that activity. They want to have fun.”

The parks are a stellar idea.

While senior citizens get to enjoy heavily discounted RSL meals and cheap movie tickets, getting older can be a time when a lot of us start getting a bit lonely.

Exercising at the gym can be too expensive for some pensioners, so a free park would be a fabulous way to get the older and wiser off the Lazyboy. What’s more, it’d encourage sociability and provide a sense of community; all things that are integral to wellbeing as we get older.

By 2040, there’ll be 6.8 millions Aussies over the age of 65. By the time I’m there, I’d like a playground with a jumping castle, so we better start pushing for it now.

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