Have I got this right - playgrounds

[edgeware]

Playgrounds in Scotland will be open from the 29th of June I believe - but playgrounds in England will stay shut until Autumn? The leaked plans for after the 4th of July seem to say they will stay completely shut?

"high touch surfaces" argh. Get a fucking grip.

Prob because the upper Tory echelons don’t take their kids to playground as they have massive gardens/ swimming pools/ playgrounds of their own to keep their kids happy

Climbing frames I mean , not playgrounds in their gardens

I'm in Germany

Playgrounds didn't close here, at least not in my area
No screens or signs

There were no limits on outside exercise either, or sunbathing, sitting on benches etc - for kids or adults -
provided social distancing was kept

The local skateboard park closed until a few weeks ago, but that was reopened without screens and just one sign outside the entrance

All that is banned outdoors now are groups of more than 10 (higher limit in some German states))
so kids can play 5-a-side football etc

@IfNotNowThenWhen2

My thoughts exactly. I’m luckily enough to be able to do some lovely walks with my kids..... but we have walked every day for months sometimes for up to two hours, which is a long tine for a 4 year old.

He wants to go on the swings and the slides, I’m sick of seeing them all taped up. Fingers crossed they open after the summer term ends. I have a feeling they might do. It could be a way of easing parents anxiety about the inevitable return in September.

In a village near me there is a tree. Nothing unusual about that. This tree though has become a focal point for young children as it has branches which come almost all the way to the ground and has branches at varying heights so even a 2yr old can stand on a branch and hold a branch a bit higher up.

The 'climbing tree' has become more popular over the last few months.

Playground is closed... trees are not.

I know we are lucky having trees near us, also some low walls. Children will climb all sorts of things... sometimes they need to be discouraged from doing it. Damage can occur to walls, trees. With playgrounds closed though, objects in the environment will get used instead - or should be stop children doing that?

Even a dirt slope in the woods becomes a slide. Fallen trees become balance beams.

So if the closure of playgrounds more about congregation than spread from 'high touch' surfaces?

In my local park there are lots of ancient easy to climb trees. The playground is locked, so children are climbing trees instead, and "popular" trees have several children climbing all over them. Think the risk of injury due to falling out of a tree is higher than the risk of coronavirus TBH, and they might as well open the playground.

Walking and paddling don’t develop upper body skills and strength really young kids will need to be able to write successfully later. Without enough proprioceptive input early on, kids won’t be able to sit still in school! So this is going to have long term consequences if facilities don’t reopen soon.

Well then they’re congregating around the best climbing trees aren’t they?! Might as well open the playgrounds in that case. Either way I have a 2yo and a newborn. He can and does do a bit of tree climbing but it’s limited without help, and with a newborn in a sling my lifting and climbing abilities are also limited. We have done loads of outdoor activities, lots of jumping off logs and paddling in puddles and streams. I don’t need these sorts of suggestions and I am lucky to have access to all this stuff as I live in a village surrounded by countryside and I am physically able and can drive. I would still like to see playgrounds opened up. It’s not all about me, though

See the points about playgrounds in Germany and the Netherlands. We keep having people insisting that we need screens, sanisiting and social distancing in playgrounds. Why?!!

A new housing development was built a few years ago up the road from me with a playground with no fences. There was a sign up at first saying it was closed (a very small, flimsy sign) which has now disappeared and the last time I walked my dog by it, it was heaving.
New housing development close to DM with same 'issue'.
It seems that accessible playgrounds do exist...
Thank you for the petition. I have signed as although DS now too old (19) , I remember going to the playground pretty much every day when he was a preschooler for his and my sanity.

We are in Scotland. I’ll be taking my kids to the park next week but to be honest I might take some antibac wipes with me

I've just been reading an article in the Sunday Times about Portugal. They are more or less back to normal with some precautions eg tables 1.5m apart etc.

But their playgrounds are still closed.

Yes I saw that too. Everything else open can even go for a massage...

LuxLuxLux84 I was looking for a petition on this but haven’t found one?

www.change.org/p/boris-johnson-reopen-playgrounds

I've signed the petition. My kids are grown up now, but I really feel for any parent locked down with young children - it really feels like the government hate children and will do nothing to make life better for them. Playgrounds are important: motor skills, turn taking and having fun. There's no sense in keeping them shut.

This is baffling to me and I hope is not the case. Previously I saw playgrounds as recreational and

As already pointed out, countries like the Netherlands and Germany never closed playgrounds and did much better than us. Playgrounds are not what are turning the dial. When we locked down it was later than those countries and our healthcare seems to have been less good ("don't come to hospital unless you are turning blue"). We need to let children play again.

I live on an Army Camp. For the first couple of months of lockdown, it was ok. We could go pretty much anywhere on camp. When Covid specific training started up, it was in one defined area, easy to avoid- and we could still do the main walk around the perimeter. Takes about an hour walking, 30mins on bikes. Now training is back to normal. Perimeter walk is out if you don't want to risk getting shot on the firing range. Other areas are busy. So it's just the residential bit, which you can walk around in 15mins. Or they can ride their bike up and down the road.
The playpark being unlocked would make a massive difference.

We're also in Germany. Playgrounds were closed where we are but were one of the first restrictions to be lifted. My kids were overjoyed to be allowed back, they played happily for hours. No screens, handwash stations, extra cleaning or even any signage, just open as normal. I don't use antibacterial wipes before use and haven't seen anyone else doing it either, but do avoid if really busy. It has been 2 months now, no increase in cases here and none at all linked to playgrounds (or schools).

Especially while infection rates in the community are low it is surely extremely low risk (infection from surfaces and outdoor transmission may be possible but we know these are not the main modes of transmission) and is of great benefit to children. If these outdoor options are not available many will just play at each other's houses which is more risky.

PM just announced playgrounds allowed to reopen July 4th

Hallelujah!

Woo hoo 4th July and outdoor activity so the bigger playgrounds as well :)

Fantastic news! Can get back to reviewing them now 😂