Please tell me it is ok to let my baby crawl around the playground

[qwertina]

My DD is a very active 10 month old, crawling and cruising. We live in a very small flat and she gets bored easily. I have been letting her crawl around the playground, she loves just pottering about, playing with twigs and stones.

I am always right next to her to make sure she does not pick up any wrappers, sweets etc or puts anything in her mouth. I always clean her hands as soon as she goes back in the buggy. We only go in the morning so it is not busy.

On several occasions I have been told by other mums/carers that it is dangerous to let her pick up twigs/pull herself up against the bench/play with stones. I have also been told she will catch something if I let her crawl on the ground.

Letting her play outside has helped with her sleeping, she is very happy exploring the environment and gets really excited about the playground before I even take her out of the buggy, but I am starting to doubt whether I am doing the right thing after these comments. We don't have any indoor play places anywhere near us. I do take her to the library sometimes, though at the moment I am trying to make the most of the weather and save going to the library for when it is cold or raining.

Would you/do you let your baby crawl outside or do you think those people have a point?

I'm pretty sure my dd was that age when I first let her crawl round the playground, she loved it and I was always there so apart from ruining her shoes there was no problem!

I was a bit uneasy about it the first few times which maybe on lookers are too but I soon lightened up and began to enjoy it with her :)

I think it's great that you're layed back enough to let her enjoy things like that, far too many people aren't!

With my PFB?!!! I couldn't have her little fingers risk getting filthy!

With dd2 she can do pretty much as she likes The only problem is when it is busy she could get trambled so for that reason we go when quiet.

I wouldn't let a child crawl on the floor in an outdoor playground. Are there any mum and baby groups in church halls or something that you could try?

Both my dds were allowed to crawl round the outdoor playgrounds at that age. As long as she's not eating the things she picks up and you clean her hands before she eats anything I can't see why anyone would have a problem with it. I would go when it's quiet too though because of the trampling issue.

I did this yesterday and was a bit when my 8 month old ds4 spat out a fag butt!

She is my PFB in many ways, I'm just pretty laid back about germs and dirt I guess :D

We go to mother and baby group it is only once a week though and I struggle to think what else to do with her the rest of the time, she has never been one to sit in her buggy for longer than half an hour.

I think that even when she's walking she will still pick up stuff from the ground, put it in her gob, lick the climbing frames and so on. Any other ideas on what else to do with a pre walking baby would be appreciated :)

At least he spat it out HappyHippy It would ahve been worse if you'd spotted it coming out the other end

I let my 1month dS crawl around the playground and grass for the same reasons as you. He loves it and I supervise him. Hell I even let him in the sandpit!!!

10 month not 1 month

I know Happy I always collect them from the playground and put them in the bin now, while cursing the people who would smoke in children's area.

You could always brave the horror that is the soft play centre?!?

Yep, I let my son crawl around the park. And the playground. And the nice big quiet bit in our local shopping centre. I watch his every move, just in case, and he loves it.

Very true Goldidl, that would have been worse!

Yep- let her. You are supervising and cleaning hands etc. If you had a garden she would be pottering about in the garden.

Ds did crawl/ cruise outdoors. He trashed his soft leather slippers but hey ho. he enjoyed the experiences.

Actually an outdoor playground is probably cleaner than average soft play.
At least the rain washes the playground. Ball pools are the worst, I reckon.
Who washes the pee off the balls.
But you need to be very careful about dangerous rubbish like broken glass and ring pulls etc.

I always let mine crawl around the playground, just kerp an eye out for dog poo etc! I also had an all in one rainsuit for them do the could still crawl about when it is wet/cold. :)

I did this with both of mine and didn't think anything of it. They also both loved to sit and play whenever we came across a gravel path. That used to get some interesting looks!

Let them crawl! My PFB was playing in the local park and I noticed he had something in his mouth, I told him to spit it out... it was a snail, still alive and it crawled off eventually, he's a strapping 8yo now, did him no harm!

I think that's what babies should be doing but then in desperation I have picked a leaf and wiped noses with it.

Sounds healthy, normal, balanced, fun and fantastic to me. Go for it.

absolutely fine (but I am very cavalier about things like this).

Oh yes and I read somewhere that the most unhygienic things in our daily lives are the steering wheel and the computer keyboard. The bog seat is OK apparently becasue we tend to wipe that.

No I don't think I would. Depends on the surface of the playground. If it's grass then that's OK.

I think your doing the right thing, and the other parents are being precious.

Mine have crawled around, outside, from shortly after they could crawl (5-6 months, so from about 7 months). Dirt is good in small quantities - have you seen the research that suggests the excessive cleanliness we now live in is responsible for the surge in eczema, asthma, hay-fever and allergies?

Cleaning hands before food, and keeping an eye on what might go towards the mouth sound sensible precautions - DS2 ended up with a crunched snail in his mouth from less careful supervision in the garden!

The garden centre was quite popular - especially with an aquatic centre. There was somewhere else I'd thought of I'd take the boys, but the phone rang, and I've forgotten. Will post again if I remember.

I always let DD crawl around where she wanted, as soon as she could. We live in the country, so not that much playgrounds, but I do remember her crawling round our churchyard in the village and eating sheep poo. She was and is, very tough and rarely ill. Probably far more viruses at the soft play place! (Although a few viruses, bacteria and sheep droppings good for toning up the immune system.

Oh, yes. Swimming.
Especially if you've got a pool with a really shallow area, so they can stand waist / chest deep in there, and cruise along the edge!