Describe your playground safety protocol

[Anonymous]

If you are visiting playgrounds, what are you doing to minimize risk? We have been quarantining but would like to try out a playground. Our kids really miss it.

[Anonymous]

We do nothing. There is no evidence of transmission via surfaces. The virus can stay alive for hours on surfaces, but there is no evidence touching those surfaces is making people sick. We are not worrying about social distancing because our kids only come in to contact with other kids on the pay structure transiently. There is no sustained contact really. Also, people almost never get sick from catching the virus outside.

[Anonymous]

Nothing. If I have hand sanitizer on me, I'll have my kid use it before and after, but it's damn hot out and there are almost never other people at the playgrounds.

[Anonymous]

We haven't gone yet, but I plan to allow my kid to use the swings, and will spray the surface with alcohol before she touches it.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes I remember to use hand sanitizer when we get back to the car?

I always remember to use sunblock and a hat, though.

[Anonymous]

We don’t go to playgrounds. I might allow my kids to swing after wiping them down if we’re there first thing in the morning. Otherwise we ride bikes, go on hikes and walks, splash outside. Not worth it. Kids are germ factories. We haven’t been sick since March because we haven’t been around other kids. It’s remarkable since we were otherwise sick every 2-3 weeks during school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We don’t go to playgrounds. I might allow my kids to swing after wiping them down if we’re there first thing in the morning. Otherwise we ride bikes, go on hikes and walks, splash outside. Not worth it. Kids are germ factories. We haven’t been sick since March because we haven’t been around other kids. It’s remarkable since we were otherwise sick every 2-3 weeks during school.

Wow. You realize that's way overkill, right?

My kid has been on playgrounds constantly, since they reopened. She's been in preschool full time. Hasn't had as much as a sniffle, much less COVID. Neither have DH or me.

[Anonymous]

I wipe down what I can (which isn’t everything) but otherwise I try to sanitize hands a few times and definitely sanitize hands when we leave. This is more than what I did pre Covid, which was wash hands when we got home.

[Anonymous]

We don't go as often as pre-Covid. In fact, we just went to our first one this weekend (bad idea, it was SO HOT). But we did use hand sanitizer before snacks and when we left. It was also empty, so no other rules.

My main rule is: stay away from other kids. Which sucks, because playing with other kids was one of the joys of playgrounds pre-Covid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are visiting playgrounds, what are you doing to minimize risk? We have been quarantining but would like to try out a playground. Our kids really miss it.

We only go in the early mornings (before 9am) when we're the only family there, or there's maybe one other family and we can stay very far away. I don't make my kids (4 and 1) wear masks. We wash hands before and after the playground. I remind them not to touch their faces or put their fingers in their mouths, but it is what it is. My rational mind knows that the risk of an outdoor playground is low, even with other kids there, but I just don't feel comfortable at a busy playground yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes I remember to use hand sanitizer when we get back to the car?

I always remember to use sunblock and a hat, though.

ha, same!

[Anonymous]

We follow other people's leads at the playground. We have a 3.5-year-old and we are fine if he plays with others, and pretty much all other parents we've encountered on the playground are the same way--otherwise they leave because it is really hard to keep kids apart. We stay well away from other adults and their children though, only asking if it's okay as our son maybe approaches their kid. We don't disinfect anything. We use hand sanitizer when we are done.

It's definitely risky, and we realize this, but less risky than an indoor play date or sending him to school in the fall which isn't happening. He's been a totally changed person since being able to go back to playgrounds and interact with other kids, sleeps better at night, is less whiny, is less attached to toys which he was calling his "friends." We are in an area of NoVa where the 7-day-average of cases is 13, but if it starts trending upwards a lot, we probably will stick to home. I'm glad he's getting playtime in now as we are in it for the long haul and will probably face more shutdowns in the future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are visiting playgrounds, what are you doing to minimize risk? We have been quarantining but would like to try out a playground. Our kids really miss it.

We only go in the early mornings (before 9am) when we're the only family there, or there's maybe one other family and we can stay very far away. I don't make my kids (4 and 1) wear masks. We wash hands before and after the playground. I remind them not to touch their faces or put their fingers in their mouths, but it is what it is. My rational mind knows that the risk of an outdoor playground is low, even with other kids there, but I just don't feel comfortable at a busy playground yet.

+1 to all of this. We have a 4yo DD and a newborn.

[Anonymous]

We live in San Francisco. All playgrounds are currently closed. So our kids just have to suck it up.

Parks are open. They bring a ball to kick around, other outdoor toys, etc.

[Anonymous]

Not going now because it’s a million degrees out, but when we do we just use hand sanitizer after and try to avoid the really crowded playgrounds.