10 ms·

The Surprisingly Scientific Roots of Monkey Bars

51 points by Amorymeltzer 4y ago

supermatt 4y ago
In the UK, what the article keeps calling "monkey bars" we call a "climbing frame" (a "jungle gym" in the USA). What we call "monkey bars" are specifically the horizontal ladder you traverse by swinging and hanging from arm to arm. Wikipedia suggests that it is an australian thing to call the whole frame monkey bars, yet I understood the smithsonian is a US institution?
- emmelaich 4y ago
  Definitely an Australian thing. They used to be everywhere. RIP.
- RcouF1uZ4gsC 4y ago
  Grew up in the USA. I agree with your definition of monkey bars as the horizontal ladder you traverse using your hands to grip and swing to the next.
  - Steltek 4y ago
    Same (New England, if US regions matter). Also, I haven't seen a new piece of classical metal jungle gym installed in a while. New climbing structures here are either geodesic rope contraptions or elaborate monkey bars. I think it's following the trend of aggressive risk reduction in playgrounds as the ropes probably absorb falls better.
    - germinalphrase 4y ago
      On new-ish playgrounds, the “ropes” are a sheathed in fiber/nylon, but there is typically steel cable in the center to reduce stretching (stretching being a common safety issue for various reasons). I learned this after making a poorly considered leap playing with my son and scraping the ever living hell out of my shins/causing a bone bruise. The sheath also increases grip relative to (painted) steel bars.
- todd8 4y ago
  I was in elementary school in Detroit (a city in the US) during the 1950's and the only name I ever heard used for that ubiquitous playground device was "monkey bars". I really enjoyed them as a kid.
- op00to 4y ago
  North east US. We called the horizontal ladder monkey bars, and the bigger metal climbing apparatus jungle gyms.
  - koheripbal 4y ago
    Same in Canada
gadders 4y ago
Also tangentially reminds me of this poorly implemented keyword search/foot gun in Microsoft Publisher 98 from 24 years ago that ended up with Microsoft being sued for racism: https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-sued-for-racist-application/ https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-sued-for-racist-appl...
- dotancohen 4y ago
  That's great, because when searching Google for "monkey bars" the first image that comes up has a black child: https://www.google.com/search?q=monkey+bars&tbm=isch https://www.google.com/search?q=monkey+bars&tbm=isch
  - smeej 4y ago
    I must not be getting the same result. None of the top results show the same for me.
    - dotancohen 4y ago
      Neither am I, now. I wonder if this is a fluke, or if someone intervened manually. I was definitely getting the result consistently as I was testing which parameters I could remove from the URL and still get the Google Images page.
a_c 4y ago
> in part because monkey bars result in more injuries than any other playground structure. I argue it is the opposite, like immunity, mild injuries prepare the young to recognize and deal with danger. As a parent myself, I never want to shield my children from all danger, only those severe one.
- halgir 4y ago
  When I get nervous from what my kid is doing and feel an urge to tell him to stop, I try to ask myself "what's the worst that could happen". If the answer is "break a bone", I try to stop myself from saying anything. Though I'll still subtly maneuver myself into catching position.
  - schwartzworld 4y ago
    At the zoo near us there's a really great climbing structure. It's three stories tall. I overheard a dad there tell another dad "I used to get really nervous when I watch my kids play on this. So I decided to stop watching them."
  - a_c 4y ago
    You definitely have higher tolerance. I was trying to not have my children's bone broken. But as sister comment pointed out, maybe I should stop watching them climb too
    - halgir 4y ago
      I prefer for him to not break bones. If an activity is 50% likely to involve bone-breaking, I'll step in. But if that really is the worst that could happen, and is unlikely to do so, then I'll try not to.
      - a_c 4y ago
        Thanks for sharing. I'm stealing your mentality from now on :)
memalign 4y ago
I learned from a sign at a local park that “brachiating” is the verb to describe using arms to swing from branch to branch.
- bikewhore 4y ago
  Spotted the same sign perhaps. Someone was having fun when they designed that sign, I can’t imagine how many quick google searches it has spawned.
jakedata 4y ago
While the monkey bars/climbing frame provided exercise and adventure in my elementary school playground, there was also this rotating hoop called a witch's hat which taught early lessons in conservation of momentum and unbalanced mass rotation. I still remember the ringing sound of steel as someone on the opposite side lost their grip and was flung outwards, causing the person on the opposite side to crash into the pole. See slide 15 for an illustration: https://honey.nine.com.au/parenting/retro-dangerous-playground-equipment/78495888-3249-4de9-86c1-7f0db3a1d129 https://honey.nine.com.au/parenting/retro-dangerous-playgrou...
- voxadam 4y ago
  Example: https://everwas.com/2009/11/old-school-playground/ https://everwas.com/2009/11/old-school-playground/ > there was also this rotating hoop called a witch's hat which taught early lessons in conservation of momentum and unbalanced mass rotation. I loved that thing. Back in kindergarten we'd get the young student teachers to spin us as fast as they could and then the brazen of us would let go for our first experiences with flight. I'm incredibly grateful to have been part of the last class at Edwards Elementary that had access to that deathtrap, it was removed at the end of that year. Hell, thinking about it now makes me want to weld up an adult version for my friends and I. Though, I think our increased mass might limit our fun; it'd probably "good" idea to power the rotation.
- Gordonjcp 4y ago
  Every playground in the largely "health and safety"-free UK had those, until about the late 1980s when they all seemed to get cut away and scrapped almost simultaneously. While technically it's not actually illegal to crush small children with 300kg of scaff poles and keyclamps, it turns out that it *is* in fact frowned upon, and some sort of rule was introduced.
  - jaclaz 4y ago
    Well, there was also (at least here in Italy) what I call the great pavement revolution. In the old times these structures were installed everywhere, if you were lucky it was grass or dirt, but gravel, concrete or asphalt were all common (roughly in ascending order of seriousness of bruises[1]). Then, around the late '90's came out some new norms that imposed soft pavements and playgrounds were updated with these new floors (and new structures), UNI/BS EN 1176 and 1177. [1] personally I have very few photos as a kid without one or both knees bruised, though riding the bycicle was another common cause
lm28469 4y ago
If you can bring your kids(s) to a climbing/boulder gym, these things are magic for the body, it's cardio/strength/flexibility training at the same time, teaches you balance, grip strength, how to fall without injuries. We're still apes, hanging has a very long list of benefits on the body, especially for most of use spending all day sitting.
- petschge 4y ago
  And not to forget: It is a lot of fun.

51 points by Amorymeltzer 4y ago

In the UK, what the article keeps calling "monkey bars" we call a "climbing frame" (a "jungle gym" in the USA). What we call "monkey bars" are specifically the horizontal ladder you traverse by swinging and hanging from arm to arm. Wikipedia suggests that it is an australian thing to call the whole frame monkey bars, yet I understood the smithsonian is a US institution?

emmelaich 4y ago
Definitely an Australian thing. They used to be everywhere. RIP.
RcouF1uZ4gsC 4y ago
Grew up in the USA. I agree with your definition of monkey bars as the horizontal ladder you traverse using your hands to grip and swing to the next.
- Steltek 4y ago
  Same (New England, if US regions matter). Also, I haven't seen a new piece of classical metal jungle gym installed in a while. New climbing structures here are either geodesic rope contraptions or elaborate monkey bars. I think it's following the trend of aggressive risk reduction in playgrounds as the ropes probably absorb falls better.
  - germinalphrase 4y ago
    On new-ish playgrounds, the “ropes” are a sheathed in fiber/nylon, but there is typically steel cable in the center to reduce stretching (stretching being a common safety issue for various reasons). I learned this after making a poorly considered leap playing with my son and scraping the ever living hell out of my shins/causing a bone bruise. The sheath also increases grip relative to (painted) steel bars.
todd8 4y ago
I was in elementary school in Detroit (a city in the US) during the 1950's and the only name I ever heard used for that ubiquitous playground device was "monkey bars". I really enjoyed them as a kid.
op00to 4y ago
North east US. We called the horizontal ladder monkey bars, and the bigger metal climbing apparatus jungle gyms.
- koheripbal 4y ago
  Same in Canada

gadders 4y ago

Also tangentially reminds me of this poorly implemented keyword search/foot gun in Microsoft Publisher 98 from 24 years ago that ended up with Microsoft being sued for racism: https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-sued-for-racist-application/ https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-sued-for-racist-appl...

dotancohen 4y ago
That's great, because when searching Google for "monkey bars" the first image that comes up has a black child: https://www.google.com/search?q=monkey+bars&tbm=isch https://www.google.com/search?q=monkey+bars&tbm=isch
- smeej 4y ago
  I must not be getting the same result. None of the top results show the same for me.
  - dotancohen 4y ago
    Neither am I, now. I wonder if this is a fluke, or if someone intervened manually. I was definitely getting the result consistently as I was testing which parameters I could remove from the URL and still get the Google Images page.

a_c 4y ago

> in part because monkey bars result in more injuries than any other playground structure. I argue it is the opposite, like immunity, mild injuries prepare the young to recognize and deal with danger. As a parent myself, I never want to shield my children from all danger, only those severe one.

halgir 4y ago
When I get nervous from what my kid is doing and feel an urge to tell him to stop, I try to ask myself "what's the worst that could happen". If the answer is "break a bone", I try to stop myself from saying anything. Though I'll still subtly maneuver myself into catching position.
- schwartzworld 4y ago
  At the zoo near us there's a really great climbing structure. It's three stories tall. I overheard a dad there tell another dad "I used to get really nervous when I watch my kids play on this. So I decided to stop watching them."
- a_c 4y ago
  You definitely have higher tolerance. I was trying to not have my children's bone broken. But as sister comment pointed out, maybe I should stop watching them climb too
  - halgir 4y ago
    I prefer for him to not break bones. If an activity is 50% likely to involve bone-breaking, I'll step in. But if that really is the worst that could happen, and is unlikely to do so, then I'll try not to.
    - a_c 4y ago
      Thanks for sharing. I'm stealing your mentality from now on :)

memalign 4y ago

I learned from a sign at a local park that “brachiating” is the verb to describe using arms to swing from branch to branch.

bikewhore 4y ago
Spotted the same sign perhaps. Someone was having fun when they designed that sign, I can’t imagine how many quick google searches it has spawned.

jakedata 4y ago

While the monkey bars/climbing frame provided exercise and adventure in my elementary school playground, there was also this rotating hoop called a witch's hat which taught early lessons in conservation of momentum and unbalanced mass rotation. I still remember the ringing sound of steel as someone on the opposite side lost their grip and was flung outwards, causing the person on the opposite side to crash into the pole. See slide 15 for an illustration: https://honey.nine.com.au/parenting/retro-dangerous-playground-equipment/78495888-3249-4de9-86c1-7f0db3a1d129 https://honey.nine.com.au/parenting/retro-dangerous-playgrou...

voxadam 4y ago
Example: https://everwas.com/2009/11/old-school-playground/ https://everwas.com/2009/11/old-school-playground/ > there was also this rotating hoop called a witch's hat which taught early lessons in conservation of momentum and unbalanced mass rotation. I loved that thing. Back in kindergarten we'd get the young student teachers to spin us as fast as they could and then the brazen of us would let go for our first experiences with flight. I'm incredibly grateful to have been part of the last class at Edwards Elementary that had access to that deathtrap, it was removed at the end of that year. Hell, thinking about it now makes me want to weld up an adult version for my friends and I. Though, I think our increased mass might limit our fun; it'd probably "good" idea to power the rotation.
Gordonjcp 4y ago
Every playground in the largely "health and safety"-free UK had those, until about the late 1980s when they all seemed to get cut away and scrapped almost simultaneously. While technically it's not actually illegal to crush small children with 300kg of scaff poles and keyclamps, it turns out that it *is* in fact frowned upon, and some sort of rule was introduced.
- jaclaz 4y ago
  Well, there was also (at least here in Italy) what I call the great pavement revolution. In the old times these structures were installed everywhere, if you were lucky it was grass or dirt, but gravel, concrete or asphalt were all common (roughly in ascending order of seriousness of bruises[1]). Then, around the late '90's came out some new norms that imposed soft pavements and playgrounds were updated with these new floors (and new structures), UNI/BS EN 1176 and 1177. [1] personally I have very few photos as a kid without one or both knees bruised, though riding the bycicle was another common cause

lm28469 4y ago

If you can bring your kids(s) to a climbing/boulder gym, these things are magic for the body, it's cardio/strength/flexibility training at the same time, teaches you balance, grip strength, how to fall without injuries. We're still apes, hanging has a very long list of benefits on the body, especially for most of use spending all day sitting.

petschge 4y ago
And not to forget: It is a lot of fun.