So the Jones' are at it again. So they think that the new swing set they had installed for little Timmy is the best in the whole neighborhood, eh? And now Jone's keeps rubbing it in how sorry your own Junior's tire-swing is. Well you'll show HIM who should do the bragging... Just wait until the delivery truck brings this to your front door!
It wasn't supposed to be an ongoing series, but I have an update to my posts last summer on the influence of Mid-Century design and fads on children's playground equipment. But this has to be added! The very retro-looking robot slide above was taken from an manufacturer's catalog dated to the 1970's, obviously still influenced by the space-madness of the 50's and 60's. If you Google "robot playground" it appears that there's still one or two surviving examples hopefully still out there intriguing young and old alike today. So sad that a bunch of busy-bodies had to tear down most all this wonderful equipment from our city parks and school playgrounds as being unsafe. Silly adults!
But on to the link that I've included! Along with Giganta there's a rocket slide, lunar lander and a very Trekkie looking starship jungle gym. Now I'm not exactly sure where these images were originally posted, but I've seen this catalog first at Retro Playground Equipment @ Plaid Stallions along with other swell examples of jungle gyms shaped like castles, tugboats and a few which, umm, may be hard to describe.
The Divine Caroline.com article has a large number of additional images: rocket slides, barrel runs... all kinds of goodies to get the inner-child all excited. So just follow the link if you're ready for more. But be warned - there's much packed on this site in 3-parts... 70's Playgrounds @ DivineCaroline.com
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5 comments:
LOVE THAT! It's slightly like the wicker man in some ways, but in others it's just good clean fun! ;)
LoL Perdita! You're right, it does bear an unmistakable resemblance to the wicker man... but a friendly one :D
My childhood neighborhood park had a giant rocket very similar to this robot. It seemed like it was about 95 feet tall and had like 4 stories to it...well something like that but, it did have the same cool tunnel slide(s). Now its gone...why do they tease us with these wonderful playthings as children then just junk 'em? Our kids need to have fun and adventures too.
Exactly! And if they don't learn from a few bumps and bruises to use some common sense as a kid, how are they going to be responsible adults? I doubt that kids have half the fun we did!
That same robot was in Huffhines Park, Richardson, Texas. I think it's gone now, but it was still there in 1996 when my wife and I were dating... it's where I first told her I loved her, and the robot was there to witness it.
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