Dear Neighbors:

Imagine yourself a young child who has proudly ascended a rope climber.  But, you do not yet have the skills to climb down and no one can see or hear you.  There is no alternative, easier down option and below you - approx. 5 feet down - is hard wood.  There is no soft landing as required by standards to prevent head injuries and broken bones.  The equipment is "approved" for kids as young as 2 but kids that young are not, typically, able to descend/climb down by that young an age... it takes until they are about 4 years old.

In Feb. 2024, my son (3 3/4 yo at the time) climbed up inside the Bird and fell trying to climb down, breaking his elbow.  The ropes inside turned him upside down, so he fell head-first about 5 feet onto hard wood, and then down several hard wood stairs.  His fall and injury completely caught me by surprise.  I had no idea he was in distress because it's all enclosed so I could not see him.  It's also very small - it's not designed for adults to get inside to be close to children.   

Even Nature Forward preschool teachers have difficulty with the Bird.  One teacher wrote, "The Wood Thrush can be a harder spot to supervise because it is small and all enclosed...."  Further, the teacher said it was unfortunate they're unable to see inside. (Oct. 2023)

Here are the hazardous design flaws of the Bird that Nature Forward should remediate, identified per guidance from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and ASTM (formerly known as American Society for Testing and Materials).

=> Nature Forward, kids as young as 2 should not be "approved" for the Bird <=

Change the approval placard so that kids need to be 4 or even 5 to use the Bird.  The majority of kids as young as 2 have not yet learned to climb down.

=> Nature Forward, remediate the fall risk <=

Kids learn to climb up before they learn to descend and because of this they need an easy, alternate way down.  The Bird has no alternative descent option to the ropes inside it and without one there is a serious fall risk of about 5 feet onto hard wood.  There should be soft surface landing material. 

=> Nature Forward, make the Bird easier to supervise <=

Nature Forward's own preschool teachers, before they were told they were not allowed to speak about the Bird's design, have documented that it's hard to supervise children inside the Bird.  While beautiful aesthetically, the Bird is like a fortress and children cannot be seen, accessed, or much heard when they are inside it. 

=> Nature Forward, remediate the hard wood injury risk over the slide <=

Children have also been hurt and bloodied by the hard wood section above the slide.  This is because kids do not see the wood in their peripheral vision as they are moving their legs into a sitting position.  Kids stand up, don't see the wood, and bang their heads.  Replace it with something soft and that children can easily view so they do not get hurt..

=> Nature Forward, learn from Butler's Orchard.  Listen to community feedback and remediate hazards. <=

Butler’s Orchard built and opened a new play area recently, including a Silo structure.  The Silo has many of the same features as Nature Forward’s Wood Thrush Bird - it is all enclosed, limits supervision, and has a climbing area inside that is too small for most caregivers to access.  

One big difference, however, is that Butler’s has very visible signs on the Silo: “Silo not recommended for children under 5 years old.”  

Nature Forward’s Bird, like Butler's Silo, is not safe for preschool aged children, those under 5 years old.  As the Consumer Product Safety Commission states, “In general, the younger the child, the less the coordination and balance they have, therefore the more vulnerable…” 

Why the difference?  Butler’s valued and listened to community feedback and is remediating safety hazards.  The Butler family saw in its own experience with their young children and feedback from the community that young kids were getting stuck and scared after climbing up to a platform inside and adults were not able to see or access them - the same issues exist with Nature Forward’s Bird.  Nature Forward, learn from Butler's and listen to and act on community feedback.

For further reference, see:

• The Consumer Product Safety Commission's Public Playground Safety Handbook - https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/325.pdf
• ASTM's "Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Playground Equipment for Public Use" (F1487-21) -  https://cdn.standards.iteh.ai/samples/108840/982ae87acd6c430da72651292a8ceb67/ASTM-F1487-21.pdf

 Additional pictures are available here:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/5XAkwt2sy2Pyif1bA  

 

Thank you for being proactive on kid safety!  

Catherine Howard, Nature Forward Member & Preschool Parent (2023-24)