“Where did the children become”, asks news in an article on 23 August, referring to a review of playgrounds and ball hoops that have fallen into disrepair. According to the article, it’s because the kids don’t use them anymore. But is it the children’s fault? Or is it the adults who look passively down at the screen when the children want to go outside and the playgrounds are about to grow again? As the artificial turf pitches have come into being, even in the smallest village, it is natural that the gravel loop no longer measures up to ball games. Nor does the lone ball artist on a lawn entice as much as an indoor playground with disco lights a short drive away. The problem is that activity on both artificial grass and in playgrounds costs money, and has a very programmed form of activity. The local loop is an arena for free free play. But it badly needs to be reinvented. I am convinced that the neighborhood loops can and should have an important role in the local environment, but it is unlikely that football will drive it forward. More than ever, children and young people need good places to meet and hang out with others. We see that upgraded schoolyards work well as a gathering point in the local environment, and can have different functions during the day and evening. We also see that lavish city center playgrounds, which some of our cities have invested in, gather young people all year round. The overgrown and worn-out ball loop, on the other hand, does not excite! What is this really about? Yes, it is about public health: physical, social and mental health. Through play, children should learn, they should take chances and explore the world with what they find around them. There is a reason why sandy beaches never go out of fashion as a playground – across the ages. The simple combination of moldable sand and moving water is a social winner. So is competition and fun like jumping or plunging into the water from different heights and places. Through play, vital relationships are created, because we find together in the exploration of our surroundings. Psychologists can tell us that these relationships build up a mental immune system in us. From a public health perspective, removing the ball loops is no solution. The loop has an important function, and we must make the loops attractive again. We can do that by having professionals and representatives of the local community talk to the young people. We have to find out what they want, what do they want today’s loops to look like? Green lungs within walking distance of the home are more important than ever. It is about social sustainability and cohesion in the neighbourhoods. Presumably it costs less to keep the loops the same, than the costs we get as a result of passive and lonely people.
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The ball loop is dead – long live the loop! – Speech
