Morrisons launches pop-up play parks
Morrisons has partnered with Play England to launch a touring pop-up play park.
The park, which launched in Plymouth last week and moves to London today and tomorrow, will tour the country this summer and will teach parents and children a range of games and creative activities.
The supermarket said the park, which is free to use, will help parents keep their children entertained over the summer holidays and ties in with new research that shows a third of parents are predicting they will be in debt this summer due to the school holidays.
Morrisons said the research found that over a third of parents in the average family now spends over £30 a week more per child in the school holidays and find it difficult to entertain their children for free.
Never Miss a Retail Update!In addition, it revealed that the low-cost games that filled parents’ childhoods are on the verge of extinction. 96% of London parents surveyed said they regularly played free games in their youth, yet 28% of their children have never played the games, which include hopscotch, leapfrog, blind man’s bluff, jacks and tiddlywinks.
Despite 51% of parents wanting their children to have similar childhood experiences to theirs, over one in ten (11%) did not feel confident about sharing this fun with their offspring.
Sonia Whiteley-Guest, director of brand development at Morrisons, said: “Our wider report into summer spending highlighted that parents expect to be in the red as a result of the school holidays, with the average parent predicted to end up £126.95 in debt over the course of the holiday. 8% will accrue a debt of between £250 – £500.
“Entertaining children with these games and the ones we all remember from our childhoods needn’t cost a penny. Those who want to remember the fun and how to play traditional games should head down to the free Summer Play Parks to refresh their memories.”
Catherine Prisk, director of Play England, added: “Outdoor and indoor play is essential for children’s health, well-being and happiness. It is also important for their future development, to help build vital life and social skills. Skipping, elastics, juggling and paper planes are just as much fun for children today – and cost virtually nothing. Many of these games have been around for centuries; hopscotch for example has been a staple child’s game since the 17th century. We need to ensure they are passed on to future generations.”
