Category Archives: Play

Out and about with little ones

Babywearing, Parenting, Play, , , ,

Over the years we have spent a lot of time outside with our two young children.
Wandering the streets has been a favourite, and playing in public spaces. Street furniture has so many possibilities! If you leave enough time to take things slow there are lots of interesting things for small children around the streets.
We have also enjoyed going to the park or woods, climbing trees and setting up home in the shrubbery. A pushed over pushchair on the pavement makes a brilliant rocket on the way back from the library.
Who can resist puddle jumping or jumping in the autumn leaves – I know none of us can!
Playgrounds have provided a social opportunity and plenty of fun over the years too.
My youngest in particular likes to collect things and each journey outside leaves the possibility for the discovery of treasures – a discarded McDonald toy, a stick, a hub cap (these are particularly popular).
My eldest loves the opportunity to meet people and chat that being outside provides too.

For me the top tips for getting out and about are:

1. Using a sling for a baby – and for a toddler (up to age 4 or 5 with a well suited good quality one.
Baby can see everything and chat with you and other people if they want. And it doesn’t matter how far a toddler can walk because you just pick them up for a bit. I like a mei-tai best – easy for back carries and unlike a wrap there isn’t too much material to drag through the mud. A good soft structured carrier can work well too.
Types of baby carriers
2. Working out a bag(s) that worked for me, and taking as little as possible.
For me this was a large runner bumbag, which I could wear around my waist under the carrier. Children carried their own toddler day sack from very early on with nappy things in. (not the baby ones in shape of animals as you can’t really fit anything else in these). If your child has a tendency to run towards the road then the reins on these might be helpful too.
3. Dress right for the weather
With a bit of research it is possible to find clothes for babies, children and adults that mean that the weather isn’t a problem.
Babywearing – what to wear in wet and cold?
4. Learning not to expect too much.
Children like to potter, and it seems completely against their nature to walk from A to B with getting somewhere as the purpose. For them it is about the journey. So slow down, take your time and you’ll be rewarded by getting to see a familiar landscape in a whole new way.

Playing in public spaces

Magazines and blogs, Parenting, Play,

One of my favourite blogs is The Cool Hunter.

I always enjoy finding the newsletter in my inbox – it injects a bit of colour into the world, with some wonderfully different ideas on everyday things. One of my favourite parts is the Kids section. Today it featured Reinventing Kids’ Spaces/Playgrounds. With lots of wonderful pictures of playful places.

For me the biggest problem with play is not just that children need to time to play, but also they often need permission. We live in a world where adults spend a lot of time telling children not to touch or to behave because they are worried about how other will view their children. Where parents worry that their children playing in the street or pedestrian areas are going to make too much noise, or upset other adults.

The play spaces pictures in the blog are wonderful, and making spaces bright and playful can be a great way to encourage adults to let go and let the children play, but actually many public places already have the potential to be wonderful playgrounds if adults felt that it was acceptable, and just let the children play.

We had a lovely time last weekend when we just sat in our local town’s sensory garden and let the children play. We let them climb on the benches and the sculpture. And pretty soon other children joined in to. Children will do this spontaneously if they are given the time and permission to do so. Everyday street furniture, fencing, walls, trees etc can be wonderful to play on and with. Every small child is drawn to walking on walls, swinging on railings and so on.

Another instance of adult aimed environment that makes a great play space for younger children is the outdoors gym in a neighbouring town’s park. Although aimed at over 12 year olds it makes an interesting and different play space for younger children too. My 4 year old found the equipment to be interesting climbing frames and my 7 year old enjoyed the glimpse into another form of adult exercise that would suit her, but which she is barred because of her age.

As The Cool Hunter  says public spaces could be so much more than they are now. Both visually and as play spaces for adults and children alike. Great design plays an important part, but even without that just a change in attitude can make a huge difference.

Watford bans parents from adventure playgrounds

Play, ,

Completely typical of the current climate where parents are all assumed to be abusers.
We have been meaning to go, but now it is out of the question. E has clearly said that she won’t go unless she knows that I am there – not necessarily with her, but available if necessary.
This Government’s policies seem determined to undermine family life at every step. With the vetting and barring, banning parents from looking after each others children, and plans to interview home educated children as young as 5 alone (up until now reserved for abuse victims or those suspected of crimes).
Please, please, please – give some support to families. Parents and children must be encouraged to spend time playing together.
Young children and those with special needs especially need parental help settling in somewhere new. Parents need to be able to see how their children are getting on in a new environment before leaving them. It should be up to children to say if and when they want to be left alone.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/6453268/Council-bans-parents-from-play-areas.html
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2703465/Parent-fury-over-playground-ban.html?OTC-RSS&ATTR=News
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1223528/Parents-banned-supervising-children-playgrounds–case-paedophiles.html
http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/4705034.Parents_banned_from_council_play_areas/?action=thanks

A generation of scaredy cats…

Play,

Risk fear creating ‘scaredy cats’
Author Tom Hodgkinson is speaking at conference on the balance between risk and safety. He warns that a preoccupation with minimising risk at home and in the classroom could be creating a generation of “scaredy cats”.
The conference, organised by Children in Scotland and Play Scotland, discussed whether risk aversion in society could have a long-term impact on youngsters.