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Seesaw, teeter-totter, teeterboard, etc - what do you call it?


luuknam
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111 members have voted

  1. 1. What do you call the playground equipment that's basically a lever with a fulcrum in the middle?

    • Seesaw
      81
    • Teeter-totter
      64
    • Teeterboard
      0
    • Tilt
      0
    • Tilting board
      0
    • Teedle board
      0
    • Dandle
      0
    • Dandle board
      0
    • Ridey-horse
      0
    • Hickey-horse
      0
    • Other
      0


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In grew up calling it a wip or a wipwap (in Dutch), and then the English word I learned for it was seesaw, but it seems that here in WNY teeter-totter is more popular.

 

I took the naming options from Wikipedia - but searching Google images I don't get the playground equipment for all of them, so, thinking some might be extremely regional and/or archaic.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seesaw#Name_origin_and_variations

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I say seesaw now because I think it's more accepted. But I usually said teeter-totter as a kid.

 

Me, too.  I just asked a couple of my kids.  They say see-saw.  When I told them that I grew up saying teeter-totter, they said that that sounded British.

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For me they were either seesaw or teeter-totter, but they are very scarce now. The last time I saw one was in an open-air museum. 

 

I'd probably first go to seesaw, but teeter-totter would be an acceptable variant.

 

They are mostly gone from playgrounds, I guess because they caused accidents?

 

The first time my kids were on one was in a playground in Germany.  One of my dds got flipped off it (well, she'd never been on one before), and split her nose and we had to go to the ER and get it glued back together. Whoopsie.

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See saw in SE Asia when said in English. We learned this rhyme in preschool

 

"See Saw Margery Daw,

Johnny shall have a new master,

He shall have but a penny a day,

Because he can’t work any faster."

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/schoolradio/pdfs/wigglewaggle/prog9-song1.pdf

 

We know the teeter totter is the see saw in a playground but at a home, this would be what my friends and their kids mean

https://www.amazon.com/Little-Tikes-Whale-Teeter-Totter/dp/B000AOETEE

 

Also there is this wooden teeter totter at a local park that can sit 4 adults. Link is to child sized version https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002B5YMJM

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I think I said teeter tottor but now usually say see saw but sometimes teeter totter too.

 

Same.  I remember this rhyme from when I was little:

 

Teeter totter, bread and water,

Wash your face in dirty water.

 

Or whatever two-syllable word that interchanged with dirty.  Toilet was a popular option :laugh:

 

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See-saw. And I agree that they're scarce. They've gone the way of the monkey bars.

 

 

I haven't been to a playground in ages, but I also noticed all the fun stuff was gone... seesaw, monkey bars, merry-go-round, even slides and swing sets.  Most of the ones I've seen in the last 10 years or so are just big plastic structures with attachments on them and walkways and little playhouse-like parts here and there.  So boring! 

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I'd probably first go to seesaw, but teeter-totter would be an acceptable variant.

 

They are mostly gone from playgrounds, I guess because they caused accidents?

 

The first time my kids were on one was in a playground in Germany.  One of my dds got flipped off it (well, she'd never been on one before), and split her nose and we had to go to the ER and get it glued back together. Whoopsie.

 

Yes, I believe the reason they are not being included in playgrounds anymore is because of the injuries. Those spinning merry-go-round things have all but disappeared, too.

 

We still have monkey bars and fireman poles in many playgrounds here.

Edited by wintermom
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We would day teeter-totter. But hear seesaw just as often.Kansas.

 

I haven't been to a playground in ages, but I also noticed all the fun stuff was gone... seesaw, monkey bars, merry-go-round, even slides and swing sets. Most of the ones I've seen in the last 10 years or so are just big plastic structures with attachments on them and walkways and little playhouse-like parts here and there. So boring!

Lol. At both parks we visit ALL of these are present. And sand boxes, mentioned up thread.

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Yes, I believe the reason they are not being included in playgrounds anymore is because of the injuries. Those spinning merry-go-round things have all but disappeared, too.

 

We still have monkey bars and fireman poles in many playgrounds here.

 

There's a playground near us that put in a plastic version of a merry-go-round. It has high sides and you sit (or lay) in the inside - umm, kind of like a oh forget it, here's a link http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2013/11/portland_parks_rethinks_old_sc.html

 

There's also a park near us that has teeter totters that stay level when nobody is on them, but act like a teeter totter when kids are on them. They're on giant springs. Like this! http://www.aaastateofplay.com/rockwell-teeter-duo/

 

Maybe 10% of the playgrounds here have some fun stuff (not old and dangerous, but modern fun) and the rest are those boring, plastic things that are everywhere now. Recently, we have been seeing super high and steep slides!

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Now I want to call it a hickey horse just to watch the expressions on the faces of the other moms at the park.

 

:D

Edited by Arctic Mama
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Seesaw, New York.  

Playgrounds are not what they used to be.  Around here there are still monkey bars and firefighter poles.  No merry-go-round, seesaws, rocking animals, or any of the really dangerous stuff that was fun.

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