Adventure playgrounds are also a growing trend among parents who want their kids to grow up with more autonomy. The Land in North Wales, one of the most well-known, looks more like a junkyard than a playground with kids scrambling over piles of tires or building sculptures from discarded chairs. There are many more of these spaces in Europe —most American moms get agita just reading them — but there are a few in the U.S. such as Adventure Playground in Berkeley, CA.
If you want to find out more about RIE parenting or other views on treating kids like adults, check out Baby Knows Best by Deborah Carlisle Solomon or Bringing Up Bébé by Pamela Druckerman.
