How the Jungle Gym Was Born-- Part 1: OUCH!! Stay Off Those Monkey Bars

From the November 29, 2018, Chicago Tribune by Christopher Borrelli.

You can see what is regarded as the first jungle gym in the U.S. in the backyard of the Winnetka Historical Society in Illinois, (north of Chicago).   "A monolithic, caramel-color 7-foot-tall cube of deliberately spaced sharp angles...  It looks as punishing as contemporary playground equipment is welcoming...  It's only concession to safety is the sandbox of wood chips beneath it."

Children, however, are not allowed to play on it.  But they do.

Boy, I sure remember jungle gyms, especially the one in Herman Park in Goldsboro, N.C., across from my grandparents' house.  And, yes, there were the occasional painful fall.  And, hitting the ground, as bad as that was, was further worsened by hitting bars on the way down.  A double, triple battering if you will.

Only, we called 'em monkey bars.

And, it IS the First, the VERY FIRST jungle gym.

What was that Bill Cosby used to say about playground items that he never saw adults on?

But Fun, Real Big Fun.  --Cooter