The Best Way To Keep Your Playgrounds Germ Free

The University of Arizona recently published a study that showed almost half of all playground equipment was contaminated in some way with bacteria and germs of some kind.

Whether your little one loves swinging on monkey bars, whizzing down slides or even swinging round on merry-go-rounds, it’s safe to say they’ve been exposed to sweat, mucus, saliva and even blood and urine.

While this may be a shocking fact to hear, it goes without saying that playgrounds aren’t an inherently dangerous place. During the current climate however, it’s incredibly important that we all take precautions.

Whether the playground equipment is at an educational establishment, an outdoor park or even an indoor play area; parents and guardians must do their best to protect their children from not only contracting germs and bacteria but also from spreading germs and bacteria themselves. 

What Can One Do?

To get the best possible advice, we went to Sovereign Early Years, one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of children’s playground equipment. Here’s what they had to say!

  • Lots Of Hand Sanitiser - before you enter the playground, share the hand sanitiser around everyone in your party. Before moving from one piece of equipment to another, use hand sanitiser. Ensure it’s used as much as possible between stations.
  • Keep Food & Drink Away - where possible, avoid eating at all at the playground. If you must eat, make sure you move away from the equipment and throughly clean yourself before returning to play. It’s also best to use hand sanitiser and anti-bacterial wipes before you begin eating too.
  • Avoid Mingling With Other Adults - where possible, only one adult should attend the playground with children. When there, as tempting as it may be to mingle with other parents, please stay away at least two metres apart.
  • Wipe Down TouchPoints - it’s advisable to wipe down the areas that your children have been playing on however it’s important to focus on touch points. Think monkey bars, the chains on swings that your children have been holding, along with any other handles.
  • Catch It, Bin It, Kill It - if you or your child sneezes or coughs, make sure this is caught into a tissue and put straight into a bin. Catch it, bin it and kill it.
  • Avoid The Playground If Poorly - if anyone within your party is showing any symptoms of COVID-19 or even the common cold, it’s advisable to simply stay away. It’s far better to isolate and ensure you prevent further spread of a virus than spread it to potentially everyone you meet at the park.

Contact Sovereign Early Years Today

If you’d like more information on playground safety or would like to find out more about sourcing playground equipment for your play area, we recommend contacting Sovereign Early Years on 01702 804 198 today.