Archive for category: Leicester

In a TV advertising campaign which ran earlier this year, VisitEngland recruited Shaun the Sheep and his pals to help promote holidays in England. I guess now they’ll be hoping that people are ‘flocking’ to holiday destinations around the country (sorry, couldn’t resist that!)

Baa-ring (oops, sorry again!) the unpredictable weather, England and the rest of the UK is a wonderful place to go on holiday with plenty of things to do and places to visit for all the family. And it provides a fabulous opportunity for families to spend some quality time together on home soil too.

Inevitably the weather is always the big concern during the summer holidays and when holidaying at home and judging from the very mixed conditions we’ve seen so far this year most of us will experience some wind and rain at some point and probably quite often. But it’s not the end of the world if we are either at home or on holiday somewhere as there are still lots of activities to enjoy even when things get a bit cold and damp.

Hotels and other types of accommodation offer swimming pools, games rooms, gyms and other activities which come into their own on bad weather days, while this summer’s new cinema releases will also keep staycationers happy with films like Inside Out, Ant-Man, Mission: Impossible – Rouge Nation and more coming up to provide some big screen entertainment.

Hundreds of attractions also cater well for wet days, so places like historic houses, museums and of course children’s play centres like us can come into their own when the weather is poor. It’s really just a case of seeking out things to do and places to go, which isn’t that hard in this age of the internet.

Activities back at home can also keep youngsters entertained over the long holiday period. We at 360 Play love ‘free play’ so spending time making Indoor dens doing messy play activities, games and sleep overs with friends will all help keep children occupied and happy – meaning mum and dad will be happy too.

So as Shaun might say, here’s to a baa-rilliant (?) time this summer holiday – whatever the weather!

Here at 360 Play we’ve been entertaining young children for a long time and we reckon we’re pretty good at it – in fact very good at it! As experts in children’s play and entertainment, therefore, we thought we’d share our Top 3 ways to entertain youngsters during the long six week holiday, to help keep the boredom levels down to 0.

‘Freedom to play’ day

There’s a lot to be said for days out to local attractions – 360 Play is a great example – but you can’t go out every day. However, we often see in our centres the joy on children’s faces when they are allowed to roam around on their own or with friends, with no restrictions, no electronics and few rules.

So why not ‘keep out of the way and let the children play.’ Maybe set up a few activities around the house and garden and leave the youngsters to enjoy them, explore them and even make some mess (like we do in our messy play sessions at 360 Play). You can always do a clean-up game at the end of the day. Or take them out for some free play in the park, in the woods, at a friend’s house or in lots of other places.

Treasure hunt

These aren’t difficult to set up and they don’t have to be complicated, but with a little thought, time and effort they can keep kids occupied for ages and really are good fun. And when they’ve done their hunt, turn it all around and get them to do one for you to keep them occupied for even longer.

Project day

Last but not least, why not have a project day each week? Think about six projects the kids could do and set a day each week for them to do these. It could be anything from making something or planting veggies in the garden to a cookery session or helping with things around the house. It’s something that can benefit everyone involved, creates a sense of achievement and can help while away many an hour.

We hope our ideas inspire some fun activities – and help achieve a 0 boredom holiday time!

360 Play – experts in child development through play!

We are always looking to encourage families with young children to be more active. Switch off the screen and let’s get playing, we say!

At a time when so many youngsters spend many an hour in front of a computer or TV screen, the industry leading team at 360 Play is seeking to promote healthier and more beneficial play which in turn enhances child development. To this end, there is no ‘screen time’ at its venues; instead all the activities on offer provide a fun, stimulating environment which encourages children aged 2 to 12 to be creative and use their imagination, whether it be enjoying the many indoor or outdoor elements available.

Research shows that today’s children spend a great deal more time indoors than outdoors – and that’s not good! Outdoor play increases fitness levels and builds active, healthy bodies, it provides a naturally stress-free environment for young minds to benefit from and it aids youngsters’ development both mentally and physically.

As we move from spring to summer and the weather becomes more conducive to outdoor play, 360 Play Milton Keynes offers a wide range of activities within its Club 360 outdoor area, providing children with another fun, safe environment to enjoy. With paddle boats, a huge sandpit, play houses and much more, youngsters can be out in the sunshine and fresh air for a healthier, physically active time.

And of course, if the great British weather decides not to play ball and the outdoor areas are unavailable, all the activities inside the centre also offer many great opportunities for a fun, active day out, be it the three storey soft play structure, dodgem cars, carousel or 360 Street with all its creative play opportunities.

To help promote a healthier, more active lifestyle for young children, particularly during the warmer summer months, 360 Play is encouraging its members and visitors to post pictures on its Facebook page of themselves having a great time in the great outdoors. The best ones will win a family day pass to 360 Play (for two adults and two children; be sure to tag 360 Play in the photos; Ts & Cs apply).

Everything at 360 Play is available for an all-inclusive price and there are no time limits. There’s also free parking right outside the front door so it really is the place to be this half-term – whatever the weather!