[yxwvut]

The article describes the lack of sanitation as a baseless part of the negative mythology, but a dearth of scientific studies (and questions of generalizability of the existing studies) does not mean that their reputation is without merit. When your kid finds turds in the ball pit you don't need a study to know there's a sanitation problem. Anecdotally, as a child I had a near 100% rate of coming down with an infection after visiting the local ball pit and witnessed the discovery of fecal matter by another child, which, combined with the repeated illness, led to a ban on further visits.

[lotsofpulp]

Based on the frequency of my kids getting infected at daycare, I assume any activity where toddlers or even a little older get together has a near certain chance of transmission. Although, I still would not take my chances with a ball pit that I doubt is ever thoroughly cleaned.

[hgomersall]

Except, strangely enough, according to my anecdata, not COVID-19. For nearly 2 years there were, AFAICT, almost no cases of COVID transmission through our nursery. I'd love this to be followed up properly. I have a theory that not only are the kids more resistant, but the parents are too due to the circulation of the other coronaviruses in pre-school children, along with all the other various infections.

It's all changed somewhat with Omicron, but then it has everywhere.

[Dennip]

But could this simply be down to the fact that people were actively managing/combatting COVID-19?

[hgomersall]

Maybe, but have you tried actively managing infection control policy in a group of 0 to 5 year olds?

[littlestymaar]

That could be said until this year, but in France all restrictions where lifted before the presidential elections in April this year (for real) and weren't reintroduced ever since (even though we've had 2 Covid waves and 27k death in the meantime).

Yet, there's still no covid outbreak at my sons' daycare…

[romwell]

As an adult who grew up in country where ball pits simply weren't a thing:

My own ball pit? Hell yeah!

A public ball pit for adults? Depends on the crowd.

A ball pit for children? Haha no, there's no way someone didn't pee their pants in there, or dropped some food or snot.

It's surprising just how much mess a single chocolate bar can create.

I'd say actual junk playgrounds sound more sanitary.

[thecans7]

Exactly! And anecdotally speaking, almost every single one that I entered as a kid smelled like urine. Not that it ever stopped us from playing in it, but even as kids we knew that it wasn't a clean place.

[x0x0]

And ignores all the people saying that cleaning them is the problem.

I'm yet another person who worked at a place with a ballpit as a teen. I loathed it. One Karen lets her brat with diarrhea in, and it's closed for 2+ hours as someone making minimum wage loads every single ball, some with shit on them, into a net bag and runs it through the commercial dishwasher. Then hand wipes every tube.

Meanwhile, a line of other Karens are taking out their rage at not having the ballpit available to them Right. This. Instant! on a bunch of minimum wage coworkers.

At least three times a month during summer, btw.

[plasma_beam]

Is there any other term than "Karen" you can use here? It's pretty offensive to anyone with a Karen in their life.

[spacemanmatt]

SAME. We learned fast that other parents gambled with diapers in public/shared places.