Make time for national Playday

On Wednesday, August 5, Blackburn with Darwen is celebrating national Playday.

Right across the country events will be taking place in this annual celebration of childrens’ right to play.

Blackburn with Darwen is hosting two events. One at Witton Park and the other at the Borough Road field in Darwen opposite Bold Venture Park, from 1.30pm until 4pm.

This is the third year the borough has celebrated national Play Day and this year's theme is Alice in Wonderland and making time for children.

Everyone from parents to carers, teachers to policy makers, are being urged to make time for play.

Councillor Michael Law-Riding, executive member for leisure and culture and play champion for the borough said: "Play is an important part of growing up and it gives children the freedom to be just that children.

"We have something for everyone on offer this Playday and its all free so I would encourage everyone to at least for one day make time for play."

In Darwen there will be plenty of free activities including a climbing wall, arts and crafts, sports and a DJ workshop.

Younger children can enjoy a puppet theatre, story time, face painting and much much more.

And families are invited come along before hand with a picnic to make it a real day out.

At Witton Park the free activities on offer include outdoor games, arts and crafts, an obstacle course, tug of war, a nature trail, beat the goalie and a bouncy castle.

The day will also see the grand opening of Witton Park’s new lottery funded play area, Big Cover Wood at 2pm.

The Big Cover Wood play area is a £77,000 lottery funded project that combines wildlife sculptures, an adventure playground, a picnic and storytelling area all in a woodland setting.

And from 1-4pm there will also be free sports coaching by athletes, Katherine Merry and Les Antoine as part of the Street Athletics project.

Visitors can also have their say in the consultation for the new half a million Adventure Play Park being developed at Witton Park as part of the Play pathfinder project.

The play facilities will be thanks to a share of the £2.5 million investment in play across Blackburn with Darwen, from the Government’s Play Pathfinder programme.