The playground is one of the best places for kids to keep active, socialise and explore. In case you have not noticed, most of the HDB playgrounds have been converted from sand-based areas to foam ones. Gone are the days when you could see a playground like the one pictured below in Toa Payoh. This is the famous “Dragon” playground built in 1979. Foam has replaced sand for almost all the HDB playgrounds because of two simple reasons. The former provides better shock absorption should a child fall, and is also much cleaner compared to sand. The chance to play with sand This little detail, however, did not stop a Caucasian parent from letting his child play with sand in an HDB estate. As I was walking along a footpath near my block, I saw this ingenious adult with his two kids at a small clearing with spades and shovels....