Are you taking your kids to the park?

[Needausername99]

Parks are open within the rules this time so I have been taking mine but they've been really quiet.

Now we're being told we all need to do more and act like we all have the virus - obviously if this was the case then we wouldn't be going to the park.

So have I been selfish and pushed the boundaries or should I keep on going?!

I will be, only once a week or so, It's the only way I'll get them out for a walk, with a goal at the end. I'm a single parent with no chance to get out and away from screens if I don't take them.We will hand sanitise. They won't luck anything, we will walk there, run around for long enough for me to freeze and walk back. It's low risk as far as I'm concerned.

Park yes, playground no. They need to run around, get exercise and feel 'free' (as do I). Minimal risk if we stay away from others, don't go at peak times i.e lunchtime and wear masks if going to be more people there

If they’re not closed we will be going at the weekend. It is a good form of exercise for kids and the risk is low. Happy to take the risk.

I'm taking my DC anywhere we fancy that's open outside. We've stuck to the rules for nearly a year, their education is not being prioritised and I feel we've contributed enough to the collective effort. We will obey social distancing but are going outside as much as we like.

Yes, every single day. And haven’t once seen another person there for at least 2 weeks.

Yes
We go and let the kids run around and take scooters / bikes etc.

Don’t use play equipment if busy.

It’s literally the ONLY activity left to do with kids.

Yes

I don’t think they ever needed to be closed in the first place.

Took them today. They had a great time.

The risk of outdoor transmission is miniscule. So go for it.

Yes. Kids are missing out on enough at the minute

Yes. Ones near me are so quiet. It's a small risk. They need some fun

We’re in an area where 1 in 20/30 people have it so we are avoiding them.

I pulled DD out of nursery, which (no small irony) means that it's harder to fill our days, ergo park/playground. But we go at quiet times and keep to ourselves. Seems fine. What do I know?

No, we are just going for walks, we are lucky that there are lots of areas near us that have trees for climbing so that’s our playground!

Yes, we go every weekend and will keep doing so as long as it’s open.

Yes, every day at 9:30am for 2 hours. The park is huge, we go to the fields collect sticks, run around, jump in puddles and have fun, play chase, throw the ball.

He's not 2 yet and I never see anyone there, the occasional runner but usually very far away or people with dogs.

I avoid playgrounds.

Yes. There's nothing else to do.

Yes. We have been going at teatime after homeschooling to break up the long slog from tea time to bedtime. It is quiet at that time. We have been to the skate park on scooters tonight and we use the playground and outdoor gym too if not too busy. It is the only thing left for kids to do and we use sanitiser before and after

Yes. There's never anyone else there and is as low risk fun as they can get these days. I'm someone who is hawkish on how we should have handled this pandemic but given govt is still not mandating masks and refusing to invest in ventilation for school classrooms, it would seem ridiculous, perverse and cruel to deny kids low risk outdoors fun and exercise in local park.

Yes, parks are open so we use them. Once or twice a week. If it’s particularly busy then we might steer clear but find they’re generally pretty quiet at the moment.

Yes, but only if its empty. We drive past our nearest one on the way home from the supermarket - if its empty (quite often it is), we'll stop and play for a little while. It's just me and ds at home, and he's so bored.

Just to add, my comment re perverse & cruel is aimed at the government, not at parents who may make different risk assessment for their own family.

Yes we’ve been doing circuits of the park but we’ve haven’t gone in the play area for a few days as the weather has so cold neither me or DD (6) want to go in.

Yes, we do a tour of the local parks throughout the week. Haven't seen another soul there since Christmas. We sanitise before/after. She needs it.

Most near me have been closed by the town council that maintains them, due to concerns about increasing rates in the area and also, by the sounds of it, due to complaints from the public about the amount of people using them. We hadn't been as I'm still working and my toddler is getting out and about when going to nursery. But it might have been one of the things that saved my sanity if I'm furloughed again. That's not to say I don't understand why they did it. But some of them were very rarely busy. And there's a lot of non driving parents in the area. And not a lot else to do. I feel for the younger kids and their parents.