Playday To Be Celebrated In Trowbridge

On the first Wednesday in August, Playday, the national day for play, is celebrated, and this year Trowbridge is joining in the fun. On Playday, which this year is supported by Savalon, thousands of children and their families get out to play at hundreds of community events across the UK.

As well as a celebration of children's right to play, Playday is a campaign that highlights the importance of play in children's lives. According to the Playday website, for Playday 2011, they are calling on everyone to celebrate the national day for play in whatever way they choose, to help strengthen the call to protect children's right to play. So what does Trowbridge have in store?

Trowbridge may not be holding it celebrations on the Wednesday, but on Saturday 6th August between 11am and 4pm Trowbridge Park is being taken over by free activities for all. Amongst the activities, there is inflatable assault courses, bouncy castle, trampolines, face-painting, gyroscope, play bus, wet slide, scrap store, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, garden workshops, street dance and Zumba workshops, plus Wiltshire Golf Foundation, a petting zoo, cupcake workshops, storytelling, land train, nail art, Westbourne Tennis Club, plus lots more... I'm exhausted just writing all that!

Find out more on Trowbridge Playday 2011 here.

New research from Savlon and Play England revealed that two thirds of parents always had adventures outdoors as a child but worry their children do not have the same opportunities today. Play England report that many parent's fondest childhood memories are of playing outside, however, outdoor activities that for parents were part of growing up seem to be in danger of disappearing. Their research found:

• 42 percent of children report they have never made a daisy chain

• 32 percent have never climbed a tree

• A quarter of children today have never had the simple pleasure of rolling down a hill

• 47 percent of adults built dens every week as a child, yet 29 percent of today's children say they have never built a den at all

• A third of children have never played hopscotch

• One in ten children have never ridden a bike

The research confirms parents' concerns that children are no longer spending their time playing outdoors. 72 percent of adults played outside rather than indoors, compared to 40 percent of children today, with children now at risk of losing out on essential childhood experiences that outdoor play brings.

Do your children play outside in Trowbridge? Or do they prefer to stay inside and play on the likes of their computers?