On Tuesday 22nd May, the . . . → Read More: Olympic-themed Fun in Stroud]]> To raise awareness and to build excitement ahead of the Olympic Torch going through Stroud, Play Gloucestershire, Parliament Primary School, Stroud District and Town Councils have teamed up to provide students and the wider community with a great chance to have a lot of fun leading up to the event.

On Tuesday 22nd May, the day before the Olympic Torch arrives in Gloucestershire, Play Gloucestershire’s Play Rangers will be at Parliament Primary School inviting students to take part in an Olympic Obstacle course – this will involve Olympic ring hoopla, rubber chicken javelins, dressing up relays and slingshot archery amongst other exciting Olympic-based activities!

After this event at the school, the whole community are then invited to join us at our normal after-school play session on Mason Road Field to carry on the Olympic feel and make our own flags, medals and torches ready for the big day on Wednesday 23rd May.

So why not join us on Tuesday 22nd May 4pm to 6pm on Mason Road Field.

By Ben Morris, Urban Team Leader

Our page has been set up to provide news, photo updates and to spark conversations between playful people across Gloucestershire, the UK and the world! So why not ‘Like’ our page at http://www.facebook.com/PlayGloucestershire and keep . . . → Read More: Play Gloucestershire on Facebook]]> As well as our website and twitter (@Play_Glos) you can now keep up to date with Play Gloucestershire news via Facebook

Our page has been set up to provide news, photo updates and to spark conversations between playful people across Gloucestershire, the UK and the world! So why not ‘Like’ our page at http://www.facebook.com/PlayGloucestershire and keep up to date with our news and the views of those that love to GET OUT & PLAY!

You have to be 13 years of age or above to have a Facebook account, so our Facebook page is for those that fit that age bracket. You can use our website from any age and you can comment on news stories or pictures to keep in contact with the Play Rangers. For more information on Facebook security and Play Gloucestershire’s Facebook controls visit our ‘Resource’ page.

Easter this year was as popular as ever for Play Gloucestershire as our unique brand of outdoor play stretched far and wide across Gloucestershire, ensuring families could GET OUT & PLAY at our FREE inclusive sessions.

We delivered play in 13 communities over the two weeks, as well as a Fun Day at . . . → Read More: Playful Easter Holidays]]>

Easter this year was as popular as ever for Play Gloucestershire as our unique brand of outdoor play stretched far and wide across Gloucestershire, ensuring families could GET OUT & PLAY at our FREE inclusive sessions.

We delivered play in 13 communities over the two weeks, as well as a Fun Day at Hatherley Manor Hotel for disabled children and their families organised by Active Impact.

Activities at our 22 sessions across the county included; arts and crafts such as model making, painting, drawing and big art. Informal sports such as football, cricket, rounders, tag rugby, tag American football, kick rounders, basketball, tug of war and dodge ball. Campfire cooking including food preparation took place in our outdoor kitchen and there were plenty of Easter egg hunts. Den building, big bubble making, dressing up, playing on park equipment, parachute games, face painting, games such as tag, hide and seek, manhunt, chatting, telling jokes and various card games completed the fab menu.

We crammed a great deal of exciting play into the 136 hours offered and we recorded over 610 attendances to our play sites – which just goes to show how popular Play Gloucestershire’s Play Ranger sessions are!

Easter saw the Play Rangers say goodbye to friends in Shurdington as funding for this project sadly came to an end. However we are working closely with Shurdington Parish and Tewkesbury District  Councils to try and get back to support the playful community in the village. As one door closed another opened and the Easter holidays saw the return of Gloucester Play Rangers to Coney Hill Park. This session served as a taster to newcomers as after school play now continues in Birch Avenue Open Space  in Coney Hill on Mondays from 4pm to 6pm.

From family play and picnics in Frampton, to boisterous games in Bourton with colourful parachute games in Coney Hill, a waterslide in Archway Gardens and everywhere in between, Play Gloucestershire managed to engage with children, young people and families across the county – providing free activities to everyone.

Stonehouse Mum said “Play Rangers – brilliant! Great to get kids outside and remind them of the fun they can have without tv or computer”.

Kings Stanley Mum said “My kids loved the experience and thought it was great to get covered in wet sticky mud without getting told off ha!ha!.  This was the first time for me also, as I’ve never left them before anywhere without me. Everybody was so polite and really loved helping the kids…. there was no problems and I WOULD definitely do it again…”

Thanks to Extended Services, Neighbourhood Projects, District, Town & Parish Councils that funded our work during the holidays. Together we’ve made a lot of families happier and healthier.

If you would like to see what Play Gloucestershire could offer your community for after school sessions, weekend fun days or half term/summer holiday play days please  contact us.

by Ben Morris and Pip Levett

Take a look at our Gallery for lots of photos!

Wondering what to do during the holidays?  Why not come along to a FREE Play Rangers session and have some fun playing outdoors with our fully-trained Play Rangers and their van full of kit.

If you live in Stroud, Gloucester, Northway, Bourton-on-the-Water, Frampton-on-Severn or Kings Stanley then we are running sessions near you. . . . → Read More: Easter Holiday Play Sessions]]>

Wondering what to do during the holidays?  Why not come along to a FREE Play Rangers session and have some fun playing outdoors with our fully-trained Play Rangers and their van full of kit.

If you live in Stroud, Gloucester, Northway, Bourton-on-the-Water, Frampton-on-Severn or Kings Stanley then we are running sessions near you. Click here for venues, dates and times.

“Play Gloucestershire are experts at encouraging children and adults to play outdoors in a creative and imaginative way. Now that spring has arrived and lighter nights are ahead . . . → Read More: Come Out and Play at Bibury]]> Come and join the Play Rangers in the Cotswolds this Saturday. We’re teaming up with Bibury Play, a committed team of Bibury residents, to provide some free, fun outdoor play.

“Play Gloucestershire are experts at encouraging children and adults to play outdoors in a creative and imaginative way. Now that spring has arrived and lighter nights are ahead of us there are plenty of opportunities for children to play outdoors,” said Ann Haigh, Secretary of Play Bibury.
“Due to the smaller numbers of children living in rural communities there is a danger that they can miss out on opportunities to play together and have fun. We want our village playground to become a community hub for families and see our den-making event as the start of exciting things to come,” added Mrs Haigh.

Hope to see you there, and don’t forget to wear your play clothes and a waterproof!

by Pip Levett

Click here to see a poster.

Grade Seven

Katie has been in constant contact with Play Gloucestershire during her time in Zambia, but now she has . . . → Read More: News from Katie]]> Rural Team Leader Katie Spencer is currently on sabbatical leave from Play Gloucestershire and is working for six months in a school in Zambia. Ben Morris, Urban Team leader, has news from her:

Grade Seven

Katie has been in constant contact with Play Gloucestershire during her time in Zambia, but now she has just finished her mid term break it seems like a good time to update everyone on what is happening in Katie world.

The school she teaches in LOVE her (as if they wouldn’t huh?) and she has been given a bit more responsibility than she initially planned for… But in true Katie style out come the lists and the organisation and before long she was teaching teachers in computer studies and writing mid term exam papers!!!

She has been primarily working with grades 6 and 7 in the school and there are photos below of the kids in both classes. Due to all the hard work she has put into the school in the last few weeks when the opportunity came up for a rest and the chance to do some touristy things she grabbed the chance and with her friend Liz who was visiting from the UK they visited Ndola, and hired a beast of a vehicle (think the size of a Play Ranger van – with massive wheels) to get around in. Booking into their lodgings became an issue when they were told that no booking was made in either of their names… out came the Katie folder and a few printed copies of emails and booking confirmation later they were resting up and going for relaxing swims and enjoying lie ins.

It wasn’t all fun though; Katie and Liz visited other schools and managed to buy some educational books to take back to Katie’s school. Liz then had to head home and this meant Katie was back to being alone in a foreign country which is never easy… But the smiling faces of the kids in the school and the brilliant hospitality from her host family are making her positive and looking forward to the next challenges.

She has recently had a three day weekend as in Zambia they have a National holiday called National Youth Day to celebrate all the brilliant young people they have in their country… wouldn’t it be great to have that in Britain?

Grade Six

You lot really do LOVE OUTDOOR PLAY!

What a week that was! February half term and more than 350 children and young people visited our Play Rangers in 11 rural and urban communities across Gloucestershire. Not forgetting all those parents and grandparents who also joined in with an awesome range of active and . . . → Read More: A Playful Half Term Week]]>

You lot really do LOVE OUTDOOR PLAY!

What a week that was! February half term and more than 350 children and young people visited our Play Rangers in 11 rural and urban communities across Gloucestershire. Not forgetting all those parents and grandparents who also joined in with an awesome range of active and creative play activities. Highlights of the week included our return to Chesterton in Cirencester (and young volunteer Jack coming back); more than 20 litres of scrummy soup cooked on campfires across the county; a Big Play Ranger Wedding in Northway; Bridezillas in Tredworth; pasta lunch for 30 in Archway Gardens; hoards of families playing in Frampton; and the Rangers providing activities in Podsmead for the opening of the lovely new play area in Scott Avenue. Thanks to everyone who chose to ‘Get Out and Play!’ It just shows how important it is for our Play Rangers to deliver free, fun outdoor play all year round.

by Pip Levett

Click on the pictures to enlarge them – click again to close.