Headlines are screaming “Ban the Monkey Bar” – what’s the deal?

We like kids to take risks when they play. It teaches them so much.

But note, there is a big difference between a hazard and a risk.

We believe playgrounds should be hazard free, not risk free.

A hazard is something the child can’t see or predict as a result of their own actions or the design of the playground. A risk is something the child can analyse and make a decision about and use to challenge themselves.

Well designed Monkey Bars present an acceptable level of foreseeable risk. Learning how to manage foreseeable risk is important for the mental and physical development of children. Monkey Bars can help with that. They should not be viewed as a hazard.

Incidentally, they were one of the first pieces of play equipment designed that led to modern day playgrounds, stemming from the metal tubed Jungle Gym created by Sebastian Hinton in the 1920s.

Nowadays, with the increased importance placed on ‘safe play’, the spotlight has turned on this well-loved piece of play equipment, and there has recently been a push to ban the bar.

We understand risk management, and we are big on ensuring all children can play safely.

Way back in the 1990’s we re-engineered our Monkey Bars with several new features to reduce the chance of them being a hazard.

We believe that there is a place for Monkey bars in modern playgrounds, and the focus should be on improvement through design.

So how have we addressed the “problem” of the Monkey Bar through better design?

1. Firstly, we equip every Monkey Bar with an extended last rung, a unique feature of Moduplay Monkey Bars. This allows children to enter and exit the monkey bar over the platform, instead of launching out and missing the first rung or getting to the end of the Monkey Bar and missing the platform with their feet.

2. Second, if the children need to mount the Monkey Bar from an elevated position, we equip every Monkey Bar with a proper launch and landing platform they can stand on safely, never a single ladder rung, which we think is a big mistake some suppliers make to save some money.

3. And third, our most recent development, is a unique rubber coated “Bumper Bar” that is fixed to the edge of the platform facing the user creating a soft and safe entry and exit point, just in case they miss the platform.

This combination of unique safety features is a great example of how much design and engineering goes into every Moduplay product. It demonstrates our dedication to producing playgrounds of superior safety, quality and fun.

Monkey Bars don’t need to be banned, just improved.

We like kids to take risks when they play. It teaches them so much.

Related content

How Much Does a School Playground Cost in 2025?

When Nature Play Isn’t the Right Fit for Your Playground Design

The SKY is Well & Truly the Limit – Our Iconic Playgrounds are Poised to Take Centre Stage!