The best way to raise healthy kids is to get them moving, running, jumping, climbing–active play. The neighborhood playground is the perfect place for that, right?
Turns out, if your goal is to keep your kids healthy, they might be better off playing in a public restroom.
The Dirty Truth
In a recent study by HomeAdvisor, bacterial swabs were taken of 11 common playground toys at two different outdoor playgrounds. The results were frightening. The slides, at the top and bottom, had about 6 million bacteria units per square inch. The climbing walls had about 9 million, neck in neck with the bacteria density on the baby swings. To put those numbers into perspective, an hourly-cleaned public bathroom averages about .5 million bacteria units per square inch.
While the bacteria they’ll encounter from dirt and on the ground can be benevolent, virile strains that can cause flu-like symptoms, e-coli, and even microbes like pinworms from animals have been found on outdoor play equipment.
Why so much bacteria?
Kids have a knack for spreading germs wherever they go, but unlike schools and activity centers, outdoor playgrounds don’t usually hire a janitor. True, bacteria aren’t particularly fond of warm sunshine, but if you’re playing on a playground that’s been busy all day, chances are a lot of those microbes are still hanging around. Even if you decide to brave a playground during the chillier months of the year, some bacteria can survive in temperatures as low as 80 degrees celsius.
A Cleaner Option
The study also took swabs of playground equipment at an indoor playground, and found that microbe density was far lower. The major difference is that indoor playgrounds are regularly disinfected.
At Coconut Cove, we make sure our entire playground is disinfected at least once a day, so your kids can get some good, clean fun–emphasis on clean.
Sources:
- https://www.homeadvisor.com/r/playground-germs/
- https://globalnews.ca/news/4197771/are-germs-playground-daycare-dangerous/
- https://www.livescience.com/54195-how-dirty-are-public-restrooms.html
- https://www.micropia.nl/en/discover/stories/microbes-in-the-cold/
About Coconut Cove
Coconut Cove is Utah’s best indoor playground, family amusement center, or family recreation center for young families with children under age 12. The playground has dozens of “play events” for young children, including trampolines, ball cannons, a ball fountain, spiral slides, giant racing wavy slides, crawl tunnels, mirrors, bridges, stepping stones, a toddler area, and birthday party rooms made out of large Lego blocks. At Coconut Cove we believe in getting kids off of screens or arcades and participating in Active Play. Coconut Cove prides itself on being safe, clean, sanitary, and affordable! It has plenty of seating for adults and fun entertainment for children. It is a great place for kids birthday parties, mommy play dates, or for families to just come and have fun! If you are looking for fun activities for kids in Utah, come to Coconut Cove!