Seesaw

A see saw (also sometimes known as a teeter-totter in North America) is a long, narrow board supported by a single pivot point, most commonly located at the midpoint between both ends. When one person sits on one end, the other end goes down, and when they move, the other person on the opposite end goes up. This simple back-and-forth motion makes it a fun and popular activity for children at parks and school playgrounds.

See saws have been enjoyed by kids for many years because they encourage teamwork and balance. Two children work together to take turns moving up and down, laughing and sharing the experience. The design is easy to build and maintain, which is why it remains a common piece of playground equipment around the world.

Playing on a see saw helps children develop coordination and social skills, as they learn to coordinate their movements with a partner. It’s a classic example of how simple engineering can create hours of entertainment and learning for young minds.

Mechanics

A seesaw works like a lever. It has a long board that balances on a central point. When one person pushes down on one end, the other end goes up, and they can trade places to keep playing.

Varieties

The most common playground design of a seesaw features a board balanced in the center. A person sits on each end, and they take turns pushing their feet against the ground to lift their side into the air. These seesaws usually have handles for riders to grip while sitting facing each other. They are often placed above soft surfaces like foam, wood chips, or sand to help prevent injuries.

Seesaws can also be made to look like airplanes, helicopters, or animals. In some places, seesaws are used for useful tasks — for example, in the Gaviotas community in Colombia, a children's seesaw is connected to a water pump. In 2019, a set of seesaws was installed across the US-Mexico border fence between El Paso and Ciudad Juárez.

Name origin and variations

Seesaws have many names around the world. The word “seesaw” comes from the French words ci-ça, meaning “this-that,” which describes the back-and-forth motion of the play equipment. Some people also think the name might come from the repetitive motion of a saw.

In parts of the United States, a seesaw is called a “teeter-totter.” This name comes from an old dialect word and describes the up-and-down movement. Both “teeter-totter” and “seesaw” use a linguistic process called reduplication, where a word or syllable is repeated to show repeated activity, like the moving up and down on a seesaw. In some areas of New England, it may also be called a “tilt” or “tilting board.”

Popularity

In the early 2000s, seesaws were removed from many playgrounds in the United States because of safety concerns. Some people have wondered if the fun seesaws provide might be worth the small safety risks.