When the heat becomes unbearable, parents of young children often turn to indoor playgrounds; but amid runny noses in ball pits, diapers changed in play areas and toys passed from mouth to mouth, is this summer favorite a real health risk?Maya Benita|Throughout the year, and especially during the summer, air-conditioned indoor playgrounds, also known as soft-play centers, can feel like a rescue for parents of young children. Children can jump, climb and play in a padded environment, parents can sit for a moment without fearing a serious fall and, most importantly, everyone can escape the heat.On days when temperatures outside are unbearable and parents want to keep their children away from screens, an indoor playground can seem like an almost perfect solution.GalleryA playground for germs?(Photo: Shtterstock)But the venues also have a less flattering reputation: enclosed, noisy and crowded spaces where one child wipes a runny nose in the ball pit, another has a diaper changed beside the play equipment and a toddler picks up a toy from the floor and puts it straight into their mouth.It is little wonder that many parents wonder whether the seemingly innocent outing is actually a breeding ground for bacteria, viruses and other contaminants.Sivan Harpaz, 44, a married mother of four from Netanya, is among the parents who prefer to keep their distance. “Many parents, babies and children come to indoor playgrounds, which are not necessarily always healthy,” she said.“You have babies drooling on the floor, pacifiers falling, children touching everything and then putting their hands in their mouths. Sometimes you enter a ball pit and your feet come out black. In my view, it creates an incubator for bacteria.”Harpaz said her concern is based on personal experience. “Out of roughly 10 times I went to an indoor playground with my son, he came home sick at least three or four times,” she said. “A day or two later, he already had a fever.“I believe it was linked to hygiene. Children move from one play structure to another, touch shared surfaces, drink from cups at the venue, wipe their noses, scratch themselves and then continue playing.”Do you think it is different at daycare or school?