From the Sunderland Echo, via Angry People in Local Newspapers, comes this quote from a (UK) government bureaucrat, in response to criticism of a “mini­malist” playpark populated exclu­sively by concrete plinths of varying height after a child is injured by whacking his head on one:

The design provided in the park is very different and probably not what many people are used to in a public play space, but the provision of features, such as natural materials, mounds, logs and blocks, encourages children to play more imag­i­na­tively and creatively.

This broader and more natu­ral­istic approach to play provision is one that is being encouraged by all the key play and safety agencies as well as being endorsed by central and local government.

It is not intended to replace tradi­tional play space, but rather to add to the mix of play provi­sions and to enrich children’s oppor­tu­nities to expe­rience a wide variety of stim­u­lating play experiences.

Paraphrased, I think it means “kids need to get used to bland, useless, painful government-​​provided concrete struc­tures early so they will passively accept the disap­pointment with life we’ll be forcing them to endure for the rest of their lives.”