Currently, our town of Bluffton playgrounds are closed. Our surrounding towns have had their playgrounds open for weeks. The number of Covid cases continues to decline in these areas despite the reopening of playgrounds. A main concern from the town was the large gatherings of people outside. There have been large gatherings at the Hilton Head parks for the past weeks with no rise in cases. The science does not justify keeping our kids from playing and interacting with other children outside. Interaction with other human beings is an important part of development for young children. Our children aren’t able to socialize with children or adults in schools. The least we can do is open our playgrounds and allow the interaction to happen outside. As a parent of three young children, I’ve witnessed the emotions of children during this tough time. Mental health is at an all time low for adults and adolescents. If there was a poll for young children, it would be the same. The least we can do for our children is allow them to play, swing and slide around other children. 

Although this virus is a real threat to elderly and those with underlying conditions, we should allow those who are healthy to make decisions for themselves.  

Let’s open our playgrounds immediately.