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Playgrounds
Playgrounds

Learn English with this playgrounds English lesson

Date: Apr 13 2018

Themes: Family, Hobbies

Grammar: Imperative Form

Intro

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When you were a kid, where did you spend sunny afternoons? Did you climb into tall trees? Or build a fort in the yard? Or go to the local playground to run around with the neighbor kids?

Playgrounds are a great place for kids to learn how to play with others. The swings, slide, and other play equipment are great for learning motor skills and building imagination, but kids will likely have to take turns. After all, it’s pretty hard to swing with five people at a time.

In the US, neighborhood parks are often funded by tax dollars. It’s a way that the government can support healthy families and communities. Volunteers might spend time keeping the park nice or doing needed maintenance. Sometimes, schools and apartment complexes have privately funded playgrounds as well. In the end, it’s not really about having the newest, shiniest play equipment, it’s about letting kids be kids and enjoy childhood.

Jeff and Gary are discussing playgrounds and parenting. Learn who thinks what in this English lesson about childhood.

Dialog

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Jeff

Jeff

Gary

Gary

Jeff:  I just heard something about taxpayer dollars going to pay for playgrounds.

Gary:  Yeah, you mean where my kid goes and gets to interact with all the other kids and learn social skills?

Jeff:  Yeah, you pay for your own kid’s stuff. Invite your kid’s friends over.

Gary:  It’s a place where they can run off their energy. They’re not running around in people’s houses or in supermarkets to get in the way. They’re learning how physics works by using swings, going back and forth, and…

Jeff:  You know, as a parent, I think you should teach them that yourself.

Gary:  Of course.

Jeff:  I mean, it sounds like you’re talking about the dog park, which in my neighborhood is privately funded.

Gary:  Except there’s no slide for dogs. You do know that, right?

Jeff:  I guess. I just never had a playground growing up.

Gary:  There’s an adult playground where the equipment is so big. You can actually climb from one side of the wall to the other just using one rope. It’s so much fun and really challenging. You want to come?

Jeff:  I guess.

Gary:  Let’s go!

 

Grammar Point

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Discussion

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Jeff tells Gary he just found out that his tax money is paying for public playgrounds. Gary seems to think this information is not a problem. He enjoys taking his kids to the playground to run around and learn to play with other kids.

Jeff feels that parents should teach their kids these skills privately, perhaps in their backyards or houses. It turns out that Jeff isn’t really upset about paying for playgrounds. He’s just sad because he never had one as a kid.

Gary has a surprise for Jeff: there’s a playground for adults, too! All of the play equipment is adult-sized, so grown ups can enjoy a fun and challenging time, just like kids. Gary invites Jeff to join him, and Jeff agrees.

Did you have a playground when you were growing up? Where was your favorite place to play as a kid?

 

Comments

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Due

Due

Egypt

when i was growing up , i didne have any play like this stff either the swing or the slide , but with my daugher me and her father always make sure to buy to her al these plays and we have a small corner in ou house for these palys. but i wish i cold play in adult- area too like jeff.

02:43 PM Apr 13 2018 |

GWTA

GWTASuper Member!

Germany

When and where I grew up were no playgrounds like these days. It was in a village in the former GDR.


We played a lot in the forest, rode bicycles, went swimming and so on. 

08:57 AM Apr 13 2018 |

Stanislav71

Russian Federation

In my childhood we played football and basketball at our playgarden. But now it’s not privately funded or government funded. There no possible to play basketall because the baskets are broken. So I don’t see children playing there as it was in my childhood.

06:30 PM Apr 08 2014 |

ghost.w0506

Germany

I guess, nowadays, many children aren t able to use a playground without instructions. due to computers and  tv, many of them have lost the creativity . they need be guided by elder ppl. we never had that problem…....... because at that time, tv was seldom in our houses. and computers???? no one had that at home


when we have finished school, we made our work and went out, to meet our friends. soooo nice, and we never need to phone them. why ????  our days have been lucky . I m sure, kids will miss that a lot.

08:45 AM Apr 08 2014 |

ola33

ola33

Japan

What I think about fully equipped playgrounds – they’re boring. Swings for swinging, slides for sliding, monkey bars for climbing. So what’s new? Where’s creativity, where’re the boulders, logs, trees, mother nature with its grass on which the kids can run playing tags and can figure out what to do with that log, how to play with it, or  big trees with the challenge to climb up and without parental protection like they’re hovering above their kids everywhere now.  And when the kid is 16 years old he says – the whole day I haven’t eaten a crumb because I don’t know how to slice the bread… Survival skills are missing…

12:19 AM Apr 08 2014 |

hooverbastidas

Colombia

I had a big playground to go as a kid. It was really exciting going there. It was located near my neighborhood.  

12:04 AM Apr 08 2014 |

ola33

ola33

Japan

In my childhood there were no luxury playgrounds as it is now. We just had a swing with the broken seat and that’s it. But I want to tell that there was lots trees, big trees and that let us climb on them, pick apples, nuts and just climbing. The lack of playground equipment let us be more creative in playing other games such as tag and the others like we made a hole in the ground and from the distance marked by lines were throwing home keys into that hole and the winner was who aimed the sharpest. Sometimes somebody aimed just right into the target from the first time. It was so exciting. The other game was – we were throwing a small knife in a circle drawn on the ground. The idea was like whose piece of a pie will be the biggest is the winner. Nobody was hurt or cut, it was just a game. Everything was safe. We also made our own secrets. Took a piece of broken bottle glass, cleaned it, put candy wrap under and hid it in a soil. And then we were showing each other our secrets by undigging the upper layer of the soil showing just a candy wrap under the glass. It was cute. And my favorite, i still miss it is this one. 


11:48 PM Apr 07 2014 |

ttsuka

ttsuka

Japan

Jeff’s questioning of kids playing grounds being funded by taxpayers regardless of their status about having children is a frequent attitude in the USA. In fact, such anti-public, anti-government pro-individual choice sentiments seem on the rise since the economic crisis of 2008.  


I wanted Jeff to press his point of view harder and clarify his reasoning, so that we non-Americans can understand about an important ideological undercurrent that divides the Republicans and the Democrats in American politics. 

10:49 PM Apr 07 2014 |

3186

3186

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

Now we don’t need any playgrouns,children just like ground with a lot of tablet and computers.my little sister like computer more than park.

08:18 PM Apr 07 2014 |

3186

3186

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

Now we don’t need any playgrouns,children just like ground with a lot of tablet and computers.my little sister like computer more than park.

08:18 PM Apr 07 2014 |

cmoriwaki

United States

Once, I saw a swing, as an interior, inside a coffee shop.
I wondered how people drink coffee with swinging.I assume some people use some play equipments to inspire imagination.
In my case, I just only use them for physical exercises. Horizontal bar is good for chin-up exercise.

06:39 PM Apr 07 2014 |

1 person likes this

arezouuuuuu

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

in the past my favorite playmate was my cousin.she lived anather city that very far from us.so every summer i was waited her to come to our grandpa’s home.


every morning i catched some money from my father and buy some cookii.


we palyed  all duration of our day we had many good advanture together.


now she married and her husband and she are waiting their doughter coz she is pregnants

04:54 PM Apr 07 2014 |

1 person likes this

leilahavaneh

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

at that time we played in alleys with lots of children our favorite play was playing soccor and there was a big tree front of my grandfather’s house which was bult a swing ,was so fun and now there r many playground here for kids bt i wish there was some for adult 2.i missed that days

03:18 PM Apr 07 2014 |

coolest ^_*

United Arab Emirates

Here in UAE we have alot of playgrounds. As I am living in Abu Dhabi, you can find many playgrounds near the beach. Which is very cool


Even though I am not child but I still play with kids. I like play swing and slide. ^^

09:55 AM Apr 07 2014 |

1 person likes this

giska19

Congo, Democratic Republic Of The

In my country we don’t have many playgrounds for children. you can find just two playgrounds for all town and it’s not in our culture to take children there. Playgrounds are not free ! our child have space for run off in house.

08:19 AM Apr 07 2014 |

ana karnia

ana karnia

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

At that time parks in our neighborhood didn`t have playground. just one of them had a swing.I like the playground which was near my grandparent`s house. unfortunately it was far from our house so I couldn`t go there every day.

07:20 AM Apr 07 2014 |

friv2friv4

friv2friv4

United Kingdom

like to page, good.


http://www.friv2friv4.com

05:47 AM Apr 07 2014 |

ghost.w0506

Germany

oh, at that time, we didn t have playgrounds


but…...we never ever missed them


we grow up in a village, so many places to go without traffic


We had forest to play, creeks for swimming. LIfe have been


exiting , also without tv or computers….. so I became close


to nature. and now, after decades; I love nature too

04:22 AM Apr 07 2014 |

Taylor177

Taylor177

China

sounds like gay “Lets go~<3”  


where to? doggie house? 

02:43 AM Apr 07 2014 |

Michele1

Michele1

Italy

Hi to all friends here!


When I was a child,about 65 years ago, in the 50’ years, the way was the playground of all us children. At that time there were not cars on the road,because only the rich people had a car.We didn’t have slide or other fun play equipment, but we were able to build a swing with a rope between two fig trees or to build an horse with the iron wire !! Fortunately, since many years  and thanks our God (Any name He is called),our children and grandchildren can use public playgrounds and spend there their energy , enjoying with their young friends.


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