play &
activity today
* The Department for Children, Schools and
Families (DCSF) has launched a website, the Family Information Directory, that parents across the country will be able to use to search for childcare providers in their region including nurseries, childminders, after-school clubs and children’s centres.
familyservices.direct.gov.uk/
* Boys need `a more play- based approach’ in the
Foundation Stage. According to official figures, boys are falling further behind girls after just a year of primary school with girls outperforming boys in 11 of the 13 scales of the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile. Almost six in ten boys failed to achieve a good level of development in the basics at the age of five, compared with four in ten girls. Sue Palmer, author of 21st Century Boys: How modern life is driving them off the rails and how we can get them back on track, said "Boys will be disadvantaged until we give them a more play-based approach. The sort of play they require needs to be more active physically, they need to run about, climb and scramble".
* According to the authors of a new book, children need
to be exposed to risks to learn what is actually dangerous. In Fifty Dangerous Things (you should let your children do), Gever Tulley and Julie Spiegler say that over- protection can leave a child unable to judge risk for themselves in later
life.Peter Cornall of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents agreed that some accidents could benefit children. He said "Children are losing any sense of where real danger lies".
Timber Play
Aylesbury Vale put play at the heart of the community.
Children in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire will soon be able to enjoy the delights of naturally inspired play spaces thanks to the Aylesbury Vale District Council’s ongoing commitment to improving and enhancing its play spaces. Last year, three play spaces were updated, and the second stage of enhancement has now begun with the development of four further imaginative play spaces. To ensure their playgrounds retain their play value Aylesbury Vale District Council have used Timberplay’s durable, innovative product range throughout the program. The second tranche of
New timber range launched
SMP (Playgrounds) Ltd, is launching its first combination of timber and steel materials in an exciting new range of play equipment.
Launched in association with German timber specialists, Spiel-Bau, SMP’s new range provides textural interest, durability and a natural look and feel without comprising structural integrity. The range’s introduction follows feedback from customers who expressed an in interest in more natural looking equipment to compliment landscaped play schemes.
Steve Sylvester, managing
director of SMP comments: “Our combined timber and steel range has been introduced as a direct result of feedback from our customers, allowing us to offer a wider variety of play equipment to choose from. Historically, SMP has used steel in its
equipment because it offers a longer life span. However, this new product range, which uses environmentally friendly materials, offers the best of both worlds with the need for natural materials satisfied with timber elements and ‘life span’ satisfied by the steel support structures.”
The new Spiel Bau range is made up of 15 pieces of equipment which will delight children of all ages and abilities, but primarily focusing on the 8-14 year old age group. The range includes play towers, themed play ships as well as variations on exciting favourites including swings and slides. A selection of items that facilitate interactive sand and water play are also available. For older children the range includes the striking Pyramid Tower with its challenging ladder climbs and sweeping slide descents; the
adventurer’s dream of the Aldernest Tower. For younger children the range offers interactive sand and water play elements, a key part of the collection as well as themed components for sparking imaginative play. Each piece in the new range is designed to provide children with the opportunity to interact with each other and discover the natural environment around them; an essential part of their development.
In November SMP
rebranded, creating a new meaning behind its name – ‘Sort My Playground’; a plea SMP says is constantly being made by its clients, and one that the company is committed to responding to with this exciting product launch.
SMP (Playgrounds) Click here to request literature
improvements has just begun and is due to be completed by March 2010. The combined value of these projects is in the region of £350,000, and Aylesbury District Council have worked with Timberplay to ensure they get the most play value
out of their investment. Paul Collings, Managing Director from Timberplay comments on the project:- “Aylesbury Vale District Council are leading the way in embracing the principles of natural play, using some of Timberplay’s most inventive products to provide the local communities and children with play areas of distinction in a program which seeks to promote outdoor play and benefit physical, social and cognitive development. The first set of installations has been very successful, transforming some underused play areas to destination parks for the surrounding areas.” Timberplay have recently completed work on Alfred Rose Park, which used imaginative landscaping together with a Timberplay Climbing Structure as a centre piece.
Timberplay Click here to request literature
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CLICK HERE TO REQUEST LITERATURE Enquire at:
www.playat.co.uk/enquire
CLICK HERE TO REQUEST LITERATURE
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