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Growing up I loved teeter totters. The simplicity of going up and down while talking or giggling with a friend was (and is) incredibly pleasant. To make things more exciting, on the way down, my friends and I would try to slam our bodies hard against the seat in efforts to throw the other person in the air – last one remaining on the toy is the winner.
Teeter totters required children to socialize, to make friends. After all, it’s really hard to teeter when there’s no one to totter. It takes two to teet and tot.
Nowadays, the teeter totters of my childhood are hard to find. The simple piece of plastic, metal, or wood balancing on a rod rarely seems to exist. They’ve been replaced with spring-loaded contraptions that look like the picture below:
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The large springs allow for a child to play alone on the toy. A sad, pathetic sight if you ask me. No longer forced to overcome their shyness, children without friends or siblings can sit quietly by themselves in the playground teetering and tottering without a care (or friend).
Classy With a Twist 