A school district in Washington will find its playgrounds swing-less after considering the ubiquitous equipment too dangerous for its students. 

Richland School District has already torn some swings from school grounds "because of pressure from insurance companies over liability," said an article written by mother Amy Graff on SFGate.com. Graff shared her opinions on the recent swing pull, and doesn't exactly agree with it. 

"Children need equipment that challenges them physically and teaches them how to navigate tricky situations," Graff said in the article. "If a kid never figures out how to climb down a tall ladder or hang onto a merry-go-round that’s spinning him around at 5 mph, how’s he ever going to navigate the real world? The 'dangerous' situations kids encounter at playgrounds help build common sense."

The swing movement in Washington may reflect a larger effort in the United States to make playgrounds safer for students, Graff said. Rubber surfacing or cedar ships are replacing cement, walls and towers are being torn down for "tamer, low-lying structures." 

Every year, 200,000 children visit an emergency room due to a playground injury, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. About 75 percent of those injuries happen on public equipment, she said.

So yes, swings are somewhat dangerous and send an estimated 28,000 kids to the emergency room every year, but are they so dangerous that we should do away with them? Consider that 300,000 children visit the emergency room every year due to bike injuries. Should we stop allowing kids to ride bikes?

Read the full story. 

Article by Kassondra Granata, EducationWorld Contributor