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SOMEWHERE SAFE TO PLAY
by Colleen Moulding
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In an ideal world we would all love our children to play in a
large sunny garden with a swing, a sandpit and a treehouse.
Sadly reality often paints a different picture. High rise
flats, postage stamp gardens and rainy days can mean finding
somewhere safe for children to play is often a major problem
for Mum. Yet somewhere to run around and let off steam is a
real need for children.
If the weather is fine, a ball, a frisbee or a kite and a safe
open space are all that's needed, although you can double the
fun by taking a friend and a picnic too, but for a large part
of the year a hall is the best alternative.
Firstly, check out what is on offer in your area. Community
centre or church hall notice boards are often a good starting
point as Mother and Toddler groups, playgroups and Bumps and
Babes clubs advertise there and are usually pleased to welcome
new members. Sports centres are also worth investigating. As
well as pool fun for all ages, there are often skating and
dancing sessions and sometimes ball pools and soft play areas.
Exercising at home can be fun too. Stretching like a cat,
prowling like a lion, walking like a monkey and wriggling like
a snake won't take up much space, yet will have little ones
giggling in no time.
Flexibility is the key word to finding space to play within the
home. A little used dining room or large hall can be a daily
used playroom with just a little rearranging and covering of
furniture. Many garages, first cleared and checked very
carefully for sharp tools and dangerous car or garden
chemicals, can do double duty as bike riding space for toddlers
and somewhere to paint or play with sand on wet days. You can
put up some of their pictures to cheer the place up a bit and
paint the floor with garage floor paint if dust is a problem.
It is sometimes possible to fence in a drive or car standing to
give a really useful amount of skipping, riding and ball
bouncing space.
Some friends of ours, desperate for play space for their two
girls actually moved out of their large bedroom and into a
neatly fitted out boxroom so that the children had a large
nursery cum playroom where games could be left to return to and
friends entertained, and now , one year on, vote it a much
better use of their limited space than the original
conventional layout.
This can also be worth considering when two young children have
a bedroom each. Would they be happier sleeping in together for
a few years with their very own playroom next door?
Using the furniture as part of an obstacle course can be great
fun on a rainy afternoon. Use cushions as stepping stones and a
rug or duvet to scramble under. Make a string or wool jump tied
between two chairs. Or a bed can become a pirate ship with
pillow "islands" in a stormy sea leading to a larger
duvet "treasure island".
Dens under tables or behind sofas will never be short of a
resident, especially if you add a torch, comics and a few toys
too, yet are easily made by throwing a duvet or large sheet
over a table or the backs of chairs.
A smooth shelf or plank of wood makes an indoor slide if placed
carefully on a sofa or the bottom few steps of the stairs with
a pillow at the bottom.
A useful addition to most children's bedrooms is a piece of
hardboard cut approximately to the size of the bed (most diy
stores will do this for you for a small fee) giving a large
flat surface which is ideal for laying out towns or train sets,
doing puzzles or playing with all those toys that just won't go
along properly on the carpet. The added bonus is that the board
should slide away neatly under the bed when the games are over.
© Colleen Moulding 1999
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Colleen Moulding is a freelance writer living in the south of
England. She is also the owner/editor of All That Women
Want.com http://www.allthatwomenwant.com a magazine, web guide
and resource for women everywhere.
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