Being a family-owned playground and recreation company, reopening playgrounds has been on our minds since March. With social distancing as a necessary measure to keep ourselves and our children safe and healthy, how do we reopen playgrounds? How do we reopen play?
We’ve been closely following scientist and industry guidance. As time goes on, we learn more and can provide our customers and communities with new best practices in play safety. Over the past few months, here is some of the information and resources we’ve shared on our social media accounts.
Guidance & Resources
- Great ways to stay physically active while staying close to home.
- How to sanitize your playgrounds & contacting us to help you.
- Our new park & playground offerings such as outdoor sanitizing stations, custom safety signs, and outdoor classroom designs.
- National Recreation and Park Association Guidance on Reopening Playgrounds.
- Yalp interactive products for touch-free play!
Perhaps one of the most important components in safely reopening playgrounds is building the education and awareness of community members on how to safely use these spaces. Schools, Municipalities, and other playground owners should develop a detailed communications plan and roll-out messaging consistently — and across a variety of channels — to frequently remind visitors to take steps such as social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This includes communicating through traditional and social media, your website, newsletters, e-blasts, and installing signage in and around facilities.
When reopening playgrounds, visitors should practice the following behaviors:
- Monitor your health and stay home if you don’t feel well.
- Before and after using the playground: wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
- Utilize outdoor hand sanitizing stations throughout your time on the playground.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
- If possible, continue to wear masks while using the playgrounds and maintain safe distancing.
- Do not share personal items or equipment, including food, sunscreen bottles, or water bottles with people outside your household.
Ultimately, you need to do what’s best for your child, your family, your school, and your community. That may mean you won’t be visiting your local playground anytime soon. Or that may mean you’re ready to mask-up and get your family out of the house. The choice will be uniquely yours and here at Pelican Playgrounds we fully support your choice. Whenever you’re ready, we’ll celebrate your return with a social media shout-out. Tag @pelicanplaygrounds on Instagram and Facebook to show off your first playground outing utilizing the safety practices above.
Finally, if you’re an organization trying to decide the best approach for reopening playgrounds, give us a call. Our owner, Lauren Knight, has a long history in school operations and has navigated many logistical challenges over the years. You can reach her at extension 0 on our main line: 844-504-7529. Let’s work together to keep our communities safe, healthy, and active!
