Are playgrounds open? Date children's parks can open in Scotland as lockdown rules relaxed

With more and more outdoor activities being allowed, children may be desperate to get back to their local playground.

But are playgrounds allowed to open in phase two? This is everything you need to know.

When will playgrounds reopen?

Playgrounds were able to reopen from Monday 29 June, as part of the phased lifting of restrictions in phase two.

Restrictions were lifted slowly in phase two to minimise the risk of cases of the virus surging again.

In her speech discussing the move into phase two on Thursday 18 June, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon explained that lifting restrictions too quickly could result in the virus “continuing to circulate at a higher level of transmission”.

She said: “This is why, though we are moving into Phase Two today, we are still being cautious and we are not going to do everything at once.

“We will take a staged approach, to avoid bearing all of the risk at the same time.”

With Scotland now in phase two of its route map out of lockdown, there was a phased approach to lifting restrictions.

The lifting of restrictions was spread out over Friday 19 June, Monday 22 June and Monday 29 June.

On Friday 19, changes included being able to meet with people from two households outdoors (with an eight-person limit and social distancing rules in place) and being able to make an “extended household” with another household.

From Monday 22 June, face coverings were made mandatory on public transport and places of worship can reopen to the public. Professional sport can also resume behind closed doors, and dental practices can see patients with urgent care needs. From July 10, face coverings will also be mandatory in shops.

From Monday 29 June, more businesses and venues were able to open, including zoos, retail shops with doors that lead out into the street and restrictions on moving home will be also relaxed.

Can I travel to a playground?

As restrictions around outdoor activities change, you might be tempted to travel for leisure purposes, such as taking your kids to a playground or taking your dog for a walk.

In her speech announcing Scotland moving into phase two, the First Minister said: “At this stage, for leisure and recreation purposes, we are asking people not to travel more than five miles or so from their home.”

While you are allowed to travel for exercise and leisure purposes, the advice is still encouraging people to use spaces closest to their home and not to travel more than five miles for these purposes.

Will there be new rules for children in the playground?

On the Scottish government website, it states that while outdoor play parks can open, parents and children using them should still maintain strict physical distancing rules.

It explains that the “virus can be transmitted when you touch surfaces” and that children should not use a play park if it is crowded.

Children using a play park should also be extra careful regarding hand hygiene and that everyone should use hand sanitiser before and after using a piece of play equipment.

Play park owners are also told to take the appropriate steps to ensure that their parks are safe, with measures including:

- Ensuring the equipment is safe

- Using signs to reinforce the requirement for good hand hygiene and physical distancing

- Making out physical distancing and traffic flow where practical