Would you take your child to soft play? Strep A.

[christmastime11]

Hi! My 14 month old is getting so irritated by being in all day. We usually spend a majority of the day outside (at the park, walks, meeting friends etc) but with the current weather it's not ideal. We've been for winter walks and he slips over because of the frost, refuses to wear mittens and therefore his hands are like ice, and it's all round a nightmare. We've exhausted most inside activities (water play, drawing, reading, sensory activities) I need him to burn some energy!
With the current strep a im a little bit worried about taking him to a soft play but I'm in town tomorrow so thought I could pop in so he can run around and have a change of scenery. I've seen posts saying to avoid soft plays etc.
Would you take your toddler to one??

I wouldn't not take him because of Strep A!

Going out and about into busy places at this time of year is always going to have a risk of illnesses but so will going to work or school or nursery etc.

Yes

DD gets ill from nursery all the time. She is never ill specifically from soft play. Besides, they need exposure. It is all the extra hygiene from Covid and lack of exposure that is making so many little ones extra ill at the moment. They have no immunity to anything. Go forth and get germy.

I would this week but not next week - not because of the germs but because the older boisterous kids are off school then and my 3yo just gets in the way 😀

I think it might have done pre MMR days. I've got my mum's 'what to look out for' leaflet from the early 80s. Parents knew then to avoid being around confirmed cases of some illnesses.

Thank you for the replies.

I did in fact go- and it may be a coincidence but my LB is completely fine whilst I'm in bed with norovirus!

My daughters had conjunctivitis, infections and ruptured ear membrane in the past 3 weeks. They don't go to nursery yet (10 months) and all of these we caught at soft play and baby groups. My decision is to keep them mostly home until Xmas as we have travel plans and I am completely exhausted from caring for sick twins.

I wouldn’t right now but not because of strep A specifically. We’ve had back to back bugs since November and I’m sick of it, excuse the pun. We are so close to Christmas now that he’s not going to nursery next week and no soft play, we have plenty of other things to do.

the other reason is we are spending it with an elderly relative who just took months to get over a chest infection so I’m doing my best to avoid giving them anything else as much as I can! If it wasn’t Christmas soon then yes absolutely I would.

No. I wouldn't take little ones anywhere like that atm. Nurseries are choc a block with Strep/Covid and parents taking them in regardless. I guess it depends on how confident you feel around those environments with high touch areas, runny noses etc everywhere!

Yes I would and I did on Sunday. I've had iGAS myself a few years ago and even so know how incredibly rare that is when compared to the millions of mild infections people get, and, get over quickly.

100% yes

I wouldn't stop activities, no. But I always avoided soft-play places as my dd would always be sick or get the shits afterwards!