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A national petition is calling for mandatory shade considerations at all new and upgraded playgrounds.
The petition, launched last month by parenting app Roam with Kids, gained more than 1600 signatures in its first two days. It is urging councils to require shade planning for playground projects, citing concerns about high UV levels and heat exposure.
Roam with Kids founder Renata Wiles says building playgrounds without shade is irresponsible, particularly in New Zealand conditions.
“It’s relatively well known now that childhood sun exposure has a huge impact on someone’s risk of developing skin cancer as an adult, and we’ve seen kids need medical attention for burns from hot equipment,” Wiles says.
She says the issue becomes more pressing over summer, when many playgrounds are unsafe to use during the middle of the day.
“Unfortunately right now, the majority of playground equipment will be unsafe or too hot to use for most of the holidays,” she says.
According to Roam with Kids, 78 per cent of parents surveyed on Instagram say they avoid playgrounds in summer due to UV concerns. A separate poll of the app’s followers found 89 per cent would forgo a piece of playground equipment in exchange for adequate shade.
Wiles says budget constraints are often given as a reason for not including shade, but that argument does not resonate with parents.
“Parents do their best to keep kids safe,” she says. “There are some amazing new and upgraded playgrounds out there calling to be played on over the summer holidays, but there are no mature trees and no shade sails, so they are completely exposed.”
There is currently no requirement for councils to include shade coverings in playground designs.
The petition calls for shade to be considered alongside other safety features, noting that shaded playgrounds can be used throughout the day and year, not just in cooler months.
The petition is open until January 31, on the Parliament website.
