This year’s Open Day had even more fun stuff for kids than ever, and almost all of it aiming to reconnect kids with the natural world.
Our own kid’s activities consisted of pond gazing and our beloved Hook a Newt game, reminding kids in a fun way about what lives in ponds. Plus once again we had the very popular and mesmerising snail racing (introduced last year – has to be seen to be believed!). We also hosted a volunteer from a new Forest School nursery keen to promote her new venture who put on lovely mud cake-making activities for little ones.
On a more conventional note the Usborne bookstall provided colouring activities, 11th Hitchin Guides did glitter tattoos, and there were plenty of lovely hand-knitted craft stalls plus a very popular soft toy tombola up by the Pavilion.
Those looking for more active games were not disappointed as we had our ever popular Welly Wanging contest (the winning distance was an amazing 31m!) as well as the wet sponge stocks, Junior Archery, a Bowling Alley, Childrens’ Test your Strength and Hoopla games dotted around the park.
Finally there was the Wishing Glade – a beautiful woollen dreamcatcher, lent by Hitchin Stitchin, hung in the Triangle Garden glade, to which young and old could pin wishes they’d handwritten on coloured paper flags. We hope to transcribe this year’s wishes and share them (excluding names) on the website later in the month, as we did last year.