Sarah first approached us about Pop-Up Adventure Playgrounds about a year ago. Her enthusiasm for the model, and her can-do attitude was refreshing in busy London. We are very pleased that she found an opportunity to have a Pop-Up in her community. Additionally, we are grateful that she took a few minutes to reflect on her first Pop-Up ever.
As soon as I found out my son’s school was going to hold a summer fair, I asked if I could organise a pop up adventure playground for the kids. Once I got the go-ahead I just dreamt about the possibilities. Well, the summer fair was on Friday after school from 3 until 6 and the adventure playground was a major hit with the kids. I asked specifically for this spot with the wooden structure already in place. Climbing is so much fun!
It started off quiet, of course. I began to panic, wondering where all the kids were! On the other side of the building to the right there were food stalls, raffles, face painting, enterprise stalls etc. That was the main draw, or so I thought! My son’s school is only a couple of years old, so it serves children up to the age of seven. I brought items that I thought would appeal to them. For a sensory experience, I tied ribbons of different sizes and textures to a pink rope and hung it between the posts.
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| After calling a local tyre company to ask if I could pick up some tyres, they agreed. Moreover, they offered to deliver them to the school. Initially, the tyres were set up in a stack and arranged on the floor in a hopscotch-like pattern. My thought was that the kids might enjoy this setup at first and then use the tyres in whatever way they wanted. The two boys in this photo were throwing tennis balls into the tyres and keeping score with each other. |
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| The kids stacked the tyres and then jumped in. The tyres quickly became a major hit, as you can see. Many children used them in various ways. They stacked, rolled, jumped in, sat on, built with, and even played hide and seek with the tyres.
It was wonderful to see the children having so much fun. Additionally, it was heartening to observe some parents joining in. They played with their children whenever the kids asked them to.
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| I had loads of cardboard boxes but only had enough time before the event started to set up a few. I cut a couple of doors in one, set another one up like a tunnel and taped down one end of the other box and put them between some tyres to hold them steady as it was quite windy. Of course once the kids arrived it all got rearranged! |
The thing I love about this is that all I had to do was bring the loose parts to the playground and once the kids arrived, they took ownership of the space and got on with their business. They were truly free to do what they wanted and play! I loved just watching and photographing them getting on with their friends and having a great time together and I loved that I could make that happen for them.
To run your very own Pop-Up Adventure Playground, we have a bunch of resources available to you. Simply register your interest using our online form and we’ll be in contact. For more information about what a Pop-Up Adventure Playground is, please explore our website.
By Sarah McCalden