To wish parks had a baby crawling/cruising area

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I've got a crawling baby and I'm finding it so hard that nothing in the world is set up for them except soft play and stuff that's only on in term time like playgroup. We take our older one to lots of places but the baby always ends up being carried or in the pram because there's never a safe area to crawl around in. And he's very energetic! Even at playgrounds it isn't great. He'll go on the swing for a bit, sits on my lap on the roundabout, then we sit on the grass and he doesn't go anywhere because it's full of spiky straw due to the dry weather and he doesn't like the feel of it. He usually stands up at the pram and plays with the attachments until we go home.
What I would love:
A nice floor maybe rubbery so it's soft for crawling but light colour so it stays cool and doesn't leave black stains on the knees
Shade
Really low bars to pull up on and dangling ropes with handles
Something that looks like a climbing wall only with tiny little close together hand holds
Little tunnel at ground level
Slow roundabout with the same restraint as a baby swing
The tiniest slide you can imagine
A really comprehensive busy board

I would love that, I'd be there every day.

Yes that would be great, but they are only at crawling/cruising stage for a few months whilst they are at toddler stage for a couple of years, so I can see why public parks are aimed at that age and older rather then the younger age which wouldn’t get used by as many. My DS was happily playing on the toddler area of parks by 12 months old, a baby crawling area would have been too young for him by then, at almost 2 years old he’s still enjoying the toddler areas.

Have you tried other playgrounds locally because both of our closest ones have elements of what you describe- tiny slide, busy boards, low climbing that be crawled, tunnel etc.

If they did have such a place, some arsehole would send their dog in to have a shit!

I agree - enclose areas just for small children kept free of dog poo, dog piss, broken glass, rubbish etc.
In my area you cannot let a baby or toddler play on the grass in the park for fear of injury/disease.

We just let our child crawl and explore like they have done for thousands of years

Isn't this just a living room?

YABU to assume your experience is the same across the country. We have plenty like that.

Or just put them in play clothes and let them explore, get a bit dirty, it's good for them IMO

It’s tricky. I had a late walker as well. I’d say YANBU.

It’s a great idea- we do have such an area in a big park near me, but it’s on the other side of the park from the big playground, so it’s not great if you have older DC as well.

This is really sad - let your baby explore the natural world rather than trying to bring the indoors into the outdoors.

Okay a few people saying just let him explore. I did say he doesn't go anywhere when I put him down. I literally am on the way home from a country park right now where I thought he could explore but the ground isn't smooth so he just stays put. That's why I think a playground aimed at babies would be good!

He'll explore when he's ready

DD had a fear / dislike of grass when she was tiny. When I got fed up of pushing her endlessly on the swing I'd just take her to the grassy area and sit on a picnic blanket with a few toys. I'd take a magazine to read so I could keep an eye on her but she would still play semi independently and get some fresh air. Sometimes I'd put the toys just off the blanket to encourage her to reach for them.

PP are probably right on that it's a money issue - councils will put money into equipment for age groups that will use it more.

In my experience many parks are used for cruising

Possibly there are issues of hygiene here. The surface would have to be kept reasonably clean from day to day.

yes completely agree as the mum of a late ish walker who has a small living room! we loved play groups in churches etc cos generally people took their shoes off and the babies could all beetle around. and soft plays with well policed under 3s or even some had under 1s areas. but it is hard… I remember posting on my local fb for tips and people in similar boats had lots of suggestions!

Picnic blanket with a few toys as pp suggested. Then if he wants to go further he can and if not then that's fine.

Not BU at all! I have DS (2) and DD (9 months). DD isnt yet crawling but is cruising obsessed, and my son is still a bit small to do all the park things by himself. After a bit of time in the swings all I can do is put DD in the carrier and follow DS around making sure he doesn't top himself on the play equipment.

If there was somewhere to plonk her to cruise or crawl, that would be great. My son, who was a very early crawler and restless baby in general, would have loved it.

In my area, we can't let babies just faff about in the grass. Lots of drug paraphernalia and dog muck.

I’d prefer they focussed on providing play equipment for disabled children who have no access to playgrounds for their entire childhood than for kids who have a few months before they can do stuff.

That sounds brilliant! I would have loved this when mine was of that age. As an aside why do so many toddler areas just have a sheer drop off one of the sides of the slide/ climbing frame bit! I understand when it's in the bigger kid section but it's annoying when it's in the little kid part

Don't think most parents want their crawling baby to get their hands onto your average city park grass, full of drug needles, broken beer bottles, dog shit, cat shit, candy wrappers and the list goes on.

I sympathise as I found it really hard to entertain my crawling baby, ages 8-12 months were HARD. He was aware enough to get bored easily but not able to walk, so taking him places was really hard. We ended going to some sort of soft play daily.

We also have a local hotel which had a nice big open carpeted area and we would sometimes go there when it was quiet, buy a drink at the hotel bar, and let him crawl around. The staff didn't mind as we only went when it was dead.

Same here, wherever we are crawl free little one! Xx

Look around for more parks. Some do have tiny climbing frames for crawlers. Disability friendly parks may also have equipment that is suitable. I've seen busy boards and sensory play equipment in a couple of playgrounds.

Newer type housing estates and some community centres sometimes have little playparks, worth a drive around when baby needs a nap one day, to scope out what's around?