Not Only Swings But also Flowers, Ponds, ... Quiz

In its simplest form, a swing is a seat on a length of rope hanging from a high point like a tree branch. Having two ropes or chains, one on each side of the seat makes it easier to sit and swing. Parks and playgrounds often have two, or more, swings side by side, as in the picture. Often there are 'baby' swings, which are usually a bit lower, but also have bars round the side of the seat so that a very small child can't fall out.

The picture shows a tennis court. It is just one of the sports which might have facilities in a park. There could be a basketball court or a football field. Sometimes there is a cricket square. Parks have also become places where people congregate regularly, usually on a Saturday morning, for a run.

Many children will have fond memories of taking some stale bread to feed to the ducks. Nowadays it is recognised that it is better to use special food, since bread is not very good for the ducks. The most common breed in a British park is usually the mallard; the males have distinctive dark green heads, while the females are basically brown.

In the spring you might see a string of fluffy yellow ducklings with their parents.

A roundabout is simply a device which spins round. Some have seats for the children to sit on, as shown in the picture. On others the riders stand up and hold on to rails which cross the middle. The same word is also used for a fairground ride which also goes round and round. They are also referred to as carousels.

You will often see benches in a park. They are there for people who want to take a rest while walking round the park, or who want to sit down while their children are playing in the playground. They might be made completely from wood, or all from metal, or, like the one in the picture, from a mixture of the two materials.

Many parks have large floral displays, with beds full of different coloured flowers which are replanted regularly throughout the season. They have spring bulbs first; when they have finished flowering, they are removed and summer bedding plants replace them.

Other flower beds might have roses, or other flowering shrubs. Trees are also found in many parks; they can be good for climbing, and provide shade for the visitors.

The bandstand, like the one in the picture, is a feature of many parks. It is a covered shelter, almost always circular, where local musicians, often a brass band, can play for an audience. These performances would usually be at a weekend, when the bandsmen were free from their day-jobs.

There might be a collecting box passed round for a local charity when they have finished playing.

The see-saw, as shown in the picture, is a very simple piece of playground equipment. With one child sitting on each end it is possible to have each end of the beam going up and down alternately. It really works well if the see-saw is balanced, so many people have discovered one of the basic laws of physics - if the two riders are of uneven weight, the lighter one should sit further from the middle. That is called the Principle of Moments.

Many public parks have pieces of artwork. They might be classical statues like the one in the picture. They could be statues of local benefactors, maybe someone who provided money for establishing the park. Sometimes they are modern sculptures, perhaps part of a series formed into a trail to follow.

Some parks have murals which have been painted, or made from mosaics, and have been created to celebrate a special occasion such as the millennium or a jubilee.

Some parks have shallow ponds to allow people to sail their model boats safely. Although most of the vessels probably have a remote control system operating them, the water will be shallow enough to allow someone to walk in and retrieve a boat if there are problems with it. Other parks have deeper lakes with rowing boats big enough for the visitors to take out for a while.

Parks can be good places to have a picnic. Most parks will have plenty of grassy spaces where you can sit on the ground to eat your food. However, it can be more convenient, sometimes, to sit at a table. The picture shows a picnic table with two benches attached, one on each side.

This one is rectangular, but there are tables with other shapes and configurations, too. It is increasingly common to find some with a space at one side rather than having seats all round; this allows a wheelchair to be parked next to the table.

The slide shown in the picture is a very simple one; it has steps up to the top, and a chute the other slide allowing someone to slide down again. Some slides have covered tunnels or twists and turns on the way down. Others are wide enough to allow two or three people to slide down together. Sometimes slides are part of a bigger climbing structure, so there may be several different routes to the top and a number of routes down.

It is common to see scrambling nets for getting up and down. There may be a climbing wall or a ridged slope for climbing up, and, possibly, a fireman's pole to come down.

There are frequently walkways around the structure, allowing lots of children to play on it at any one time.