Dads return to childhood (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Outdoor skills tested at Chippenham nursery den-building

10:00am Saturday 23rd June 2012 in Chippenham By Alex Winter

Chippenham dads took a trip back through time with a den-building challenge at Redland Nursery on Wednesday.

The nursery, run by Barnardo’s, hosted the challenge to celebrate dads playing a bigger role in their children’s early years.

The dads spent the morning grappling with natural materials, boxes and blankets from the Wiltshire Scrapstore and other odds and ends to make the shelters with their children, who had already worked on colourful designs for the dens.

Barnardo’s nursery manager Tracey Major said: “We were seeing more dads bringing their children through the door in the morning and showing a keen interest in how we support them and encourage their development.

“So we suggested a special event just for the dads where they could come in and learn more about what we do, chatting to our staff while also playing with their children.

“Den-building is a fun activity for people of all ages, and even small things like using cloth and pegs can help to encourage a child’s co-ordination and dexterity. The children have already made simple designs of what they’d like to see and the materials they’d like to use.”

She said the best place to make the secret hide-outs was in the nursery’s garden.

“It’s a lovely place to make the dens,” she said.

“We wanted to keep it outside so the children and their dads had a chance to explore the space together.”

Redland Nursery is also planning an open day for June 30 from 9.30am until noon, when the local community can visit and enjoy free balloons, refreshments, a tombola, cake stall and soft play activities, as well as a visit from Scooby Doo.

The building includes the Ladybirds room for two to three-year-olds and the Rainbows pre-school room for three to five-year-olds.