Park play day proves popular

Dozens of families descended upon Sconce and Devon Park in Newark on Tuesday to take part in various free Easter holiday activities.

The Easter Play In The Park session, organised by Newark and Sherwood Play Support Group and funded by the district council, aimed to bring local children away from the various screens in their homes and into open spaces.

Jill Musson, of Newark and Sherwood Play Support Group, said the event, which is one of a series organised in the district between Easter and October, was free-of-charge as the group believes that “children should not have to pay to play.”

It also hopes that by doing so, it would encourage more youngsters and families out into the fresh air.

The concept of fresh air was given further emphasis by the decision to make the event smoke-free despite being outdoors.

It was part of the Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire county council scheme Smokefree Summer. which aims to reduce the chances of children becoming smokers at a later stage by denormalising the habit.

Mel Coton, health improvement officer at the district council, said visitors were politely asked to refrain from smoking whilst within the park to reduce the level of visual exposure to young impressionable children.

The belief is that people rarely take up smoking in later life and so by making the habit less regularly visible to children, the hope is that it will eventually lead to a smoke-free generation.

Activities on offer at the Easter-themed play day included - Easter wreath-making, archery, duck racing, circus skills with The Joker Entertainment, sunflower planting, space hopper-bouncing and drumming sessions with instructor Neil McCarthy.

Erin Blunt of Newark, visiting the park with her daughter Genevieve, 5, said that they had discovered the event by chance via Facebook and, having been to previous sessions, decided to take part.

Along with friend Gayle Tyreman, of South Muskham, and her children Alfie, 5 and Tilly, 4, they had tried many of the activities available within the first hour and said they were thoroughly enjoying it.

Alice Young of Newark, mother of Grace Frankish, 4. also heard about the event on social media and said Grace had truly enjoyed getting involved, and they were grateful to have the opportunity to participate.

The next Play In The Park session will be Under The Sea and will take place at Sconce and Devon on May 31.