Kid in neck brace + unsafe play area = the new Zoomazium
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Let me start by saying I know accidents happen. HOWEVER, we went to the new Zoomazium at the Woodland Park Zoo today and I was very shocked and disappointed by what I saw. Dare I say the mother, calmly hovered over her son who was put in a neck brace and hauled off on a stretcher in an ambulance may have felt the same way?
The first thing that struck me was that it is quite a small space. Granted, we're nearing the end of school and it was a busy day, but it is the zoo. Field trips happen!
I also felt that the 3 different play areas (one open area for smaller kids, one climbing area with a slide for toddlers/older kids and one climbing fig tree house for older kids) were too close together. The Children's Museum and the Science Center (and even REI) have a much better set up with each specific area being more "self-contained" and separated from the other areas.
And now to the aforementioned little boy who was lying on the floor being treated by the medics. Let me preface this by saying I did not see him fall. Let me now assume I can guess what happened. In the middle climbing area, there is a faux rock that juts out and is approximately 7 ft. off the ground. (I'm bad with dimensions, so I'm guessing.) Imagine, if you will, a plank off the side of a pirate ship. There are hand rails where the rock meets the larger climbing area, but they end as the rock begins to stick out over the floor. Unfortunately, the rock (our plank in my story) isn't over a body of water.
Safe? I'm thinking no. I have no idea if there is *supposed* to be some type of barrier to keep kids from climbing out there, but as the poor tot lie on the floor below, a volunteer physically stood at the entrance to the "plank" to keep kids from walking out there. If I was a betting woman, I would put $50 down that the designers of this play area don't have kids.
I'm sure the zoo, and the zoo's attorney, and the zoo's insurance carrier, are taking a fresh look at the new zoomazium. Maybe they'll make some changes, maybe they'll chalk it up to those "accidents" I was referring to in my opening statement, but either way, I think we'll steer clear of this place and wait for the new carousel to get finished.