Finland changed how they build playgrounds, and the effect it had on the health of children using them came as a shock to everyone. Did you know that exposing kids to dirt, grass and mud can be hugely beneficial to them? In Ireland, most playgrounds today, whether in a park, a creche, or even a school yard, have rubber decking. This complies with strict European fall-safety standards, and means we don’t have to worry so much about kids seriously hurting themselves if they fall off swings or climbing structures. As well as that, in Ireland, with our weather, rubber decking in playgrounds and yards also provides a safe, durable and all-weather surface that drains quickly, meaning surfaces that are less slippery and are low maintenance to local councils, schools and creches too. However, while it might be fall-safe and super-practical, Finland has just proven that rubber decking in playgrounds is not what is best for our children – certainly not for their health, anyway. In Finland, creches and primary schools have been awarded money through a new public national project to ‘rewild’ children’s playgrounds and outdoor areas. And kids have actively been encouraged to gain more muddy and dirty when they play. The reason? To increase children’s exposure to the microscopic biodiversity – such as bacteria and fungi – that lives in nature, explains Aki Sinkkonen, a principal scientist with the Natural Resources Institute Finland, to The Guardian. And so children across Finland are now spending their break times playing in mud, wild plants and moss….
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