The battle between Bruised knees and playing safely!

I was walking past a parent the other day that was saying to their children, "walk sensibly or you will fall over". This made me think about my childhood of adventure, cuts and scrapes and exploration. I  also had the problem of having very poor balance due to a hearing impediment.
My parents could have kept me indoors for fear of some terrible accident but thankfully they did not and as a result I have many good memories and certainly gained many valuable skills because I was able to take risks. Would it be the end of the world if a child fell over and hurt themselves?

There always should be a limit to the freedom a child should have, it would be unwise to let a 5 year old go wandering unaccompanied but a 10 year old is certainly capable of following instructions of where not to go and stranger danger etc.  I think it is more limiting to restrict your child, they will grow into adulthood having never taken any risks, how scary that must be.
It is a matter of only giving them the trust you know they are capable of handling, it is very satifying to see your children becoming increasingly sensible, accomplished and reliable individuals. I have 3 children aged  18y, 13y and 7 months, I began by giving each of the older ones tasks and responsibilities that would encourage independence such as letting them venture out, tidying up after themselves and making decisions. it's the simple things that work best. Other things worth trying is letting your child wander around the playground without being glued to them, of course you will need to let them know about the dangers (swing in face, slippery floor etc.) or you could encourage them to use equipment that they find slightly scary, like jumping off the fireman's pole or climbing a large climbing frame,  you could join in instead of watching!

You may recall the game British Bulldog,  it has been banned after the government told schools to stop the game due to fears of compensation claims. check out this BBC article and the comments below it, what do you think about our risk adverse society?

Other interesting articles:
Fair play for children.
Are you allowed to play out?

I don't believe it, parents enjoying events!

I cannot tell you how many thank yous and various positive comments we have had after entertaining little ones at weddings and christenings. A couple of Mums recently (Sefton Cricket Club, Liverpool) admitted it was the first time in ages they had been able to have a decent uninterrupted conversation.

There is a lot of choice for entertainment options at a wedding or christening, we may entertain the children but they certainly are not the only ones that benefit, gone are the days when a parent is so busy entertaining their children that they don't manage to have a sensible conversation or enjoy an event as an adult. Even those that are not hiring a mobile creche or children's entertainer can do much to help the time pass more enjoyably, check out my article below about good activity ideas.

The mysteries of marketing!

As you all know, I am trying to promote my first fundraising event for the créche and playcentre. Despite sending information to various networks such as: The Social Enterprise Network, University of Liverpool and T-shirts and Suits creative network, I have had absolutely no response whatsoever.
It occurred to me that maybe e-mailing is not the most effective promotional tool, imagine my surprise when after only a few phone calls I had sold a good number of tickets and many more had promised to look into it. It appears that a personal touch is the ticket.

Another surprising result is how much easier it has been to obtain prizes. I have obtained a lovely swirls Dress from Amanda Seaborne, her range Damsel in a Dress is one of the lines that John Lewis stocks, I have also been given a gorgeous exclusive cheese board and knife set that Angela of  ARK Contemporary design has made.

If anyone has any other pearls of wisdom, short of dressing up as a christmas tree and walking round Liverpool

Christmas Party Fundraiser

Help the team at Bluey's Community raise funds for a very worthy cause - Claire House Children's Hospice and Children's right to play. Whether you're having a girls night out, want to network or are celebrating with colleagues, we can promise a fantastic night.

We have a fantastic menu, great entertainment and lots of auction items.

Bluey's Community Christmas Party

Contemporary Urban Centre

16th December, 7pm - 1am

4 Course Dinner

Entertainment by Annie Long Trio  and a disco till 1am

£35 per head

Menu:

To start

Spiced parsnip and apple soup

Ham hock and black pudding terrine with home-made piccalilli

Smoked salmon and Morecombe bay brown shrimp mousse served with artisan bread

Blossom honey glazed goats cheese salad

To follow

Roast breast of Cheshire turkey with all the trimmings

Roast loin of pork with a winter pork and apricot stuffing

Fillet of salmon topped with a herb crust in a pink peppercorn beurre blanc

Stuffed roasted aubergine

All served with seasonal vegetables and potatoes

To finish

Dark chocolate torte

Christmas plum pudding with brandy sauce

Ginger and bourbon trifle

Fresh fruit salad

Coffee and Mince Pies

to secure booking an Initial deposit of £10 per person can be made, (by cheque, payable to Bluey's Community) or BACS, Please contact Michelle Peters on 07724 600211 for account details.

Bluey's Community CIC, 82 Parkside Road, Bebington, CH63 7NR.

 

Children's Party Activities

If you are having a celebration that involves children and are considering entertaining them yourself then hopefully this list should make any event run smoothly.

1. Toys - every family has them, ask friends and family to bring a couple of items that they are happy to share,  make sure they are fairly robust to avoid breakages.
2. Bubbles - these can provide lots of fun for little cost, use cookie cutters, pipe cleaners and hands as well as bubble wands.
3. Party games - These are as popular now as ever, you could also get an inexpensive parachute.
4. Arts and crafts - children love glitter glue and painting,  colouring with pens and crayons is another option.
5. Storytime - act out a favourite story.
6. Treasure hunt - hide anything from clues to prizes, make sure you hide things at the last minute so prizes are not found before the hunt begins.
7. Fun with Food  - Cookie or cake decorating are a popular favourite.

  Remember to ask friends and family for assistance, alternatively, hiring an entertainer would enable you to relax and enjoy the celebration knowing the children are catered for.

For activity options please see Bluey & Baloo's arty fun page or our Facebook site

Playtime - Helping poor children have fun and gain valuable skills

I am a great believer in one person being able to make a difference. My goal to set up a play centre in order to make a difference particularly to the lives of the children of Merseyside.
If you take into account the following facts taken from the Office for National Statistics on national child poverty rates:

Children living in Poverty - percentages according to region:

• Living in Northern Ireland 25 per cent;
• Living in Scotland 25 per cent;
• Living in Wales 27 per cent;
• Living in England 28 per cent.

Within England

• Living in the South East 19 per cent;
• Living in Eastern England 22 per cent;
• Living in the East Midlands 25 per cent;
• Living in the South West 26 per cent;
• Living in the North West and Merseyside 29 per cent;
• Living in Yorkshire and the Humber 29 per cent;
• Living in the North East 30 per cent;
• Living in the West Midlands 32 per cent;
• Living in Outer London 34 per cent;
• Living in Inner London 51 per cent.

In fact the levels for Liverpool are higher due to the ethnicity of certain groups living within the city.

There is clearly a need for more play provision,  due to the high numbers of children living under the poverty line.
Research shows that play has many benefits for children, families and the wider community, as well as improving health and quality of life. Recent research suggests that children's access to good play provision can:

• increase their self-awareness, self-esteem, and self-respect
• improve and maintain their physical and mental health
• give them the opportunity to mix with other children
• allow them to increase their confidence through developing new skills
• promote their imagination, independence and creativity      

for more child poverty statistics and a definition of play please see Play England's website.

A new board of directors

On Monday 7th March, a small group of prospective board members met up at the Station Restaurant, Hamilton Street, Birkenhead.
The meeting consisted of myself introducing Bluey's Community with regards to progression and plans, I also spoke about my work experience from volunteering as a Unit helper at brownies to becoming the owner of a successful childrens entertainment company.

My prospective board members then introduced themselves and a thoroughly enlightening evening it was.

I also had a meeting the next day with another candidate and I am pleased to announce that I have my new board, with many new ideas and skills, this can only be an enormously positive move in the right direction.

Thanks goes to Certax Accountants and The Station Restaurant for their advice and support

For more information see our facebook page for Bluey's Community CIC

Board Members Wanted

Bluey's Community is a social enterprise that is committed to children and play, workforce development and women in business.

2011 is to be a very exciting year - we will be opening a play centre in liverpool City centre and we need board members to help us along our journey, so that we can achieve all our objectives of having as much play on Merseyside as possible.

If you care about children's right to play and would like to more information then please go to our facebook page and message Michelle Peters (Chief Executive) or call 07724 600211.