That's because the heavy swinging plastic contraptions, which could weigh as much as 80 pounds, have caused serious head injuries in more than 40 reported cases, causing the Consumer Product Safety Commission to crusade for their removal and replacement.Even basketball hoops are fewer and farther between on playgrounds and in schoolyards these days.

Sadly, it was also one of the most dangerous pieces of playground equipment — in Britain, there were once five Witch's Hat deaths in one year, according to The Financial Times. If you've spent much time at playgrounds lately, you've probably noticed that they've changed a lot since you were a kid. Both "roundabout" and "merry-go-round" are also often synonyms for The playground roundabout is a simplified version of a fairground carousel. A good example of this style of roundabout is the Merry, a playground classic suitable for younger children. Kids would fling themselves around a central pole by holding onto dear life to dangling trapeze-like bars, chains, or ropes. ESPN blames a If there's a tire swing at your local park, chances are the "tire" is made of a molded plastic instead of rubber. While monkey bars remain easier to find at your local playground than a lot of other things on this list, they're also slowly disappearing. After all, you were probably plummeting from the jungle gym onto rock-hard concrete or blacktop, or if you were lucky, dirt or grass. As the CPSC notes, plastic can still get This truly old-school playground delight, also known as a maypole, dates to the turn of the last century.

Today's kids have a Mastering the monkey bars used to be a major accomplishment for a kid — today, not so much. That's because real tires can be a breeding ground for mold and insects, and rubber mulch made from tires has even come under fire for Unassuming swinging gates were never the star of the playground, but they sure were fun as kids crowded on to spin and dangle. Keep in mind, there are many more choices on the market today than the typical merry-go-round or playground roundabout. A playground roundabout (or merry-go-round) is a flat disk, frequently about 2 to 3 metres (6 ft 7 in to 9 ft 10 in) in diameter, with bars on it that act as both hand-holds and something to lean against while riding.The disk can be made to spin by pushing or pulling on its handles, either by running around the outside, or by pulling and re-grabbing as it spins, from a stationary stance. Suffice it to say that new playgrounds forgo this one.Many of us spent the summer tracking in shoes full of sand after an afternoon at the park, but even innocent sandboxes are getting the heave-ho. Now you'll rarely see them outside of dedicated trampoline park or someone's back yard because of staggeringly high child injury rates — the American Academy of Pediatrics even says kids Note: Cheapism does not accept or publish guest blog postsCheapism’s independent editorial team finds the best for less. The main reasons: LawsuitsA witch's hat wasn't as common as a merry-go-round, but it was an incredibly fun way to make yourself dizzy, with a wooden bench or metal platform that you had to hop onto as it spun around a central pole. Fewer and fewer kids are getting to play king of the castle these days, as most wooden playground equipment is Colorful plastic animal swings used to be a whimsical playground staple, but you won't find any new ones being installed today. Remember when recess was fun (and maybe a little dangerous) with this look at forgotten playground favorites, including monkey bars, merry-go-rounds and more. If you didn't break a bone from a fall at the playground, chances are you knew a kid who did. And the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) You might have fond memories of spinning so much on the merry-go-round that you felt a little sick, but chances are your kids or grandkids won't be able to say the same.

This equipment can help children with Flat disk with bars on it that act as both hand-holds and something to lean against while riding

The traditional roundabout features a seats and handrails which are attached to a rotating deck. If you were lucky, there was a platform to stand on — if you weren't, you just crammed your feet in between the bars and held on for dear life while you used your body weight to get going. Today's playgrounds are a far cry from the ones that parents and grandparents played on, and some favorite playground equipment has vanished for good.