Will playgrounds shut again?

[GirlAfraid32]

Any ideas ? I don’t think I can cope if they are. We don’t even have a garden.

@Houseplantmad

I hope they will. The one near me has groups of parents socialising in it and no social distancing. This is why the virus has got out of control. Everyone will have to do their bit.

Tell me honestly. Do you have children ages 2-10 years old? If not then it’s very easy for you to say.

@Indecisive12

I think they need to unfortunately. If schools close playgrounds should as the risk of transmission there must be high.

Er no. It’s really not. It’s all outside where risk is very very low!!

God I hope not, ours have stayed open in tier 4 on Boxing Day (although that could just be because council are on holiday). I went today and it was dead, only one other child there and only managed an hour as it was freezing but there’s bugger all else to go to.

it says they are open on the guidence dont worry

They can close all they like. We will be jumping the fence as we did lockdown 1. Our children need something, this isn't enough but to not even have the playground is ridiculous

They’re on the list to remain open

Staying open

I'd like them to stay open (3 young DCs) but our local one was a major meeting place over the Christmas holidays - the kids were running around and probably ok, but adults weren't.

Lots of groups with 6 related adults and 2 young kids between them who all 'just happened to bump into each other' and then stood close together chatting for an hour. I've been invited to 3 playground 'accidental meetings' in the last week.

No point keeping them open if they become a major meeting place, sadly.

Our playgrounds (London) are quiet
And alas I never have time to chat even pre covid as I'm chasing a 1 yo and 2yo who love to run in opposite directions and create mayhem

I can’t imagine going to the playground to chat, I sit with a coffee and a book and occasionally call out ‘great climbing darling!’ or tend to the occasional scraped knee before they run off again. It’s bliss and much more fun than being indoors even if it’s cold 😂

Logically, I think for transmission the playgrounds would be better shut. But I feel honestly scared whether my family would cope. Two kids with ASC/additional needs, youngest is v sensory seeking and needs constant supervision to keep safe. Huge physical need for movement and releasing pent up energy. We're in a small inner city high rise flat, it's true the playgrounds are swarming here. if they close the playgrounds I am scared my kids will have more accidents at home through hyperactivity and also that the youngest's sensory seeking could get dangerous. So rock and a hard place: for transmission it's better to close playgrounds, but closing would increase the risk of harm to my children greatly.

Yes I assume so, I'm really not sure why you would want children mixing at a park, cant think of anything worse right now

I mean, you could just not go if you deem it to be a risk. It isn’t mandatory

It was an absolute joke they were closed in the first lockdown

I have mixed feelings about playgrounds. On one hand, I don't like my DS being too close to other kids and touching all the same things but what the hell are we supposed to do?
You can't keep little kids locked up indoors and those of us with no gardens are pretty stuffed.
I can't drive to the middle of nowhere, even if we were allowed to and am getting bloody sick of chasing a scooter around the pavements shouting, "Slow down! Give people space!" constantly.

Very relieved to read that they'd stay open in the guidance. There's very low transmission risk and many other countries have never closed their playgrounds (with much better infection rates than ours). It will be our main source of entertainment for toddler DD. She doesn't mind the rain and the mud.

I've seen some groups of parents gathering sometimes but other times the playground is completely deserted. I don't really have mum friends and I can't really chat when I'm playing with DD as she's always running off or climbing on frame way over her intended age range, so I'm usually on my own and far enough from anyone else to feel safe. DD does'nt mingle with other kids either, she's always insisting on me playing with her.

I hope they stay open. Sometimes you need something like the playground to help get through the awfulness. My daughter got really down last time. She needs some physical release.

Our council removed all the swings, chained up all the other equipment & dumped all the loose park benches on the skateboard park first lockdown. It took them until late August to reopen everything. That was all parks & playgrounds. I wonder what they will do if we have snow, probably remove all the snow to ban sledging miserable buggers.

It clearly says here that playgrounds can be used assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/949536/NationalLockdownGuidance.pdf

They will be open. This is from the gov.uk website:

Businesses and venues which can remain open
Other businesses and venues are permitted to stay open, following COVID-19 secure guidelines. Businesses providing essential goods and services can stay open. The full list of these businesses can be found in the guidance on closing certain businesses and venues in England, but includes:

essential retail such as food shops, supermarkets, pharmacies, garden centres, building merchants and suppliers of building products and off-licences
market stalls selling essential retail may also stay open
businesses providing repair services may also stay open, where they primarily offer repair services
petrol stations, automatic (but not manual) car washes, vehicle repair and MOT services, bicycle shops, and taxi and vehicle hire businesses
banks, building societies, post offices, short-term loan providers and money transfer businesses
funeral directors
laundrettes and dry cleaners
medical and dental services
vets and retailers of products and food for the upkeep and welfare of animals
animal rescue centres, boarding facilities and animal groomers (may continue to be used for animal welfare, rather than aesthetic purposes)
agricultural supplies shops
mobility and disability support shops
storage and distribution facilities
car parks, public toilets and motorway service areas
outdoor playgrounds
outdoor parts of botanical gardens and heritage sites for exercise
places of worship
crematoriums and burial grounds