10 Types of Kids You Will Find At Every Playground

1. The swing-hogger. Now this child, usually one of mine, thinks the swing belongs to them and only them. No, they don’t want to share. No, they will not get down. The swing is the park’s prized possession and it’s the only thing they are getting on! It’s their favorite activity and they are not moving!
2. The leader. There is always one child whose voice you can hear over the others. Most commonly on the bossy side, this child is usually leading the activity, be it Hide & Seek or old-school tag. This kid is making all the rules and requires all the attention! Follow their rules or don’t play!
3. The climber. This kid is climbing on any and everything they can get their hands on! The monkey bars, the slides, the ropes, you name it. They live for the climb and like mastering the challenge.
4. The bench-hugger. Every child isn’t fond of playing but still likes to witness the action. For years, my son sat on the bench with me despite me pleading for him to go play. He wasn’t interested! He was perfectly okay sitting with the adults and watching everyone else play.
5. The risk-taker. There is always one kid that gets a thrill from doing borderline-dangerous playground stunts. They aren’t afraid of heights and will jump from any and everything! Just when you cringe, thinking they will break a leg, they land perfectly and run on to the next stunt. These kids scare me! But somehow they always end up okay!
6. The runner. This child is not concerned with any playground equipment! The playground is their track & field. They are perfectly okay running laps around the perimeter of the equipment and panting out of control. They are here for the open space and the freedom to just run!
7. The hider. Some kids like dark and quiet spaces, so they will be seen hiding under the equipment, pretending to be napping under the slide, or just enjoying the peace away from all the hoopla.
8. The quiet one. Everyone isn’t a group-player. You can always find one child drifting alone by themselves, perfectly okay playing solo. No group tag, no relay slide races. This child will keep to him/herself and go wherever the crowd isn’t.
9. The make-believer. This child, usually my daughter, is not even at a park. In her imaginative mind, she is at a restaurant, a drive-thru, or classroom. The equipment is her prop for whatever story she is reenacting.
10. The tantrumer. This kid shows up at the end of the park date (usually one of mine) and doesn’t want to leave. You can clearly point them out by the shriek in their voice and the dropping to their knees in pure agony that they must go home. This kid can be seen kicking and crying all the way to the car or stroller. Poor kid!

What playground kid do you have?