To ask if you will let your children use playgrounds?

[PickACoolUserName]

Playgrounds are opening next week and already I've heard from a few parents who are saying they won't let their children anywhere near them.

DS has been desperate to go and I'm of the opinion that the risk is very, very, low. Just wondering what other people's thoughts are?

Yes, I'm really looking forward to taking toddler DD. We've been exploring all the different parks and gardens throughout our area during lockdown, and to be fair she has enjoyed forest school type activities so hasn't been too upset about not going into playgrounds. But I think she'll be really excited to be able to use climbing frames and swings again.

I'm fairly relaxed wrt risk due to our age/health profile. We've been using public transport, going to the zoo, and DD goes to nursery (no social distancing amongst the kids/staff within their bubble).

They've been open here (London) a while. Not officially but tape etc all removed and people using for the last month or so!

@NoWordForFluffy "You use the hand gel AFTER playing. Not before!"

Surely it's both before and after?! Before, so you don't leave your germs in the playground and after, so you don't take someone else's germs away with you.

Do you not use hand sanitisers on your way into the hospital either?

They've been open here (London) a while. Not officially but tape etc all removed and people using for the last month or so!

I'm in central/East London and most of the playgrounds around here are still taped up and unused, with padlocks on gates, swings tied up with cable ties. Occasionally I do see a few of them being used, but usually by older kids 8+ with no parents nearby, or by burly men using them as pull up bars. I'm too much of a social wimp to lift my DD over the railings - if more parents were doing it, I'd join them!

Yes

They open a week on Saturday, so a week and a half

Absolutely. We’re also in London and the playground on our street was packed at the weekend - we didn’t go in that time but will go in the week when it’s quieter.

Yep we will be using them

Hell yes!!!!

There is a metal bench right outside our park's play area, which the kids have all been climbing on for months. There has been no spike of virus linked to the bench.

Whole thing is absurd. Let the kids play, let parents be responsible for keeping their hands clean and managing SD.

I know dozens of kids who have been having plays in other people's houses playing together in the street, no SD, all sharing toys.

We will literally be in the playground at 7.15am when our toddler heads off on his morning walk! I can't wait.

[quote Saracen]@NoWordForFluffy "You use the hand gel AFTER playing. Not before!"

Surely it's both before and after?! Before, so you don't leave your germs in the playground and after, so you don't take someone else's germs away with you.

Do you not use hand sanitisers on your way into the hospital either?[/quote]
Slightly different to a play area, don't you think? Play equipment is a high contact area.

If a child has the virus, they'll be expelling it from their respiratory functions / coughing / sneezing / talking / laughing. Applying hand gel once before playing won't stop them getting the virus onto the play equipment due to this. You'd have to apply it constantly to an ill (but obviously asymptomatic, or they wouldn't be out, you'd hope) child for it to have a chance to kill the germs from their hands and not spread it round that way (though even if you've cleaned their hands beforehand, that wouldn't stop them leaving the virus on the equipment)!

So, hand gel would just be used afterwards here.

Absolutely will be taking mine.

Agree with @saracen you use before and after. Yes, children are grotty but the whole point is that asymptomatic children aren't sneezing and coughing, but may well have just picked their nose or failed to wash their hands after the last loo visit.

I think that the big underlying assumption most people are making now is that they could not possibly be ill, so the main risk is from others - and that's likely true, if you've been staying at home, but as we all open up and meet up more, our chances of having caught it along the way increase a lot. If we'd all look out for each other, we'd be a lot better off.

I haven’t even got young children any more and was delighted to hear this news.

What is the point of going to all the palaver of bubbles, finding non-contact games etc

Very little point, but fears have been so ramped up that people think this is necessary.

Yes! I'll take hand gel, and get them to thoroughly wash hands after. They have really missed the park.

Yes! Everyone I know IRL is really looking forward to it.

What is the point of going to all the palaver of bubbles, finding non-contact games etc

No point, really.

Mine will!

A squirt of hand santitiser when they arrive, another when we leave, followed by a good handwash at home.
I'd consider it much lower risk than me going round the supermarket. Plus I refuse to impose a "fear" of public places on my 2 DC(3yrs) any longer than I have to.

Very little point, but fears have been so ramped up that people think this is necessary.

Yes this.

Mine will, we're in Devon and there have been just over 50 cases in our area and that hasn't changed in months now so I'm sure the risk is low.

Yes! We have a lovely little park/ playground 1 minute up the road, my 3 year old will be so excited to go there again.

@Stuckforthefourthtime

Agree with *@saracen you use before and after. Yes, children are grotty but the whole point is that asymptomatic children aren't* sneezing and coughing, but may well have just picked their nose or failed to wash their hands after the last loo visit.

I think that the big underlying assumption most people are making now is that they could not possibly be ill, so the main risk is from others - and that's likely true, if you've been staying at home, but as we all open up and meet up more, our chances of having caught it along the way increase a lot. If we'd all look out for each other, we'd be a lot better off.

They will still be shedding the virus via their mouths and noses if asymptomatic, so gel on their hands won't stop this transmission onto the play equipment.

If you want to protect others, wearing a mask would be better.

An enormous yes here.

We will 100% be going. Can't wait.

Nope, but I am looking forward to most people using them and freeing the places where we actually want to go!

I wonder how long it will take before people realise how unhealthy it is to splatter their kids hand in hand sanitisers. I prefer to keep it for emergency situation only, but each to their own.