Forest fun day ‘is best yet’ (From The Northern Echo)

Forest fun day ‘is best yet’

8:11am Friday 7th August 2009 in News By Will Roberts

RECORD numbers of families made the most of good weather to take part in an annual forest fun day yesterday.

Summer holiday boredom was banished for more than 1,500 people who attended the fourth annual Play Day at Hamsterley Forest, near Bishop Auckland, County Durham.

Dozens of activities were on offer for families, including bouncy castles, a climbing wall, a story trail and craft workshops.

This year’s event also saw new activities, such as archery and zip line.

The Play Day has grown in popularity since the first event in 2006, which saw 200 visitors.

Yesterday’s event was part of the National Play Day scheme and organisers 2D hope it encourages children to take part in fun, healthy outdoor activities.

Robert Fothergill, children and young people’s participation worker for 2D, said: “This is the biggest and by far the best event we’ve had in each of the four years since it started.

“It’s really good to see everyone enjoying themselves out here.

“We’ve been talking to grandparents and to grandchildren and every age in between.

“Everyone is really having a good time.

“We have listened to people’s views from previous years and built on those to put on a wide variety of activities.”

Mr Fothergill said the forest was the perfect location for the event.

“It gets the children out here in the natural environment – out in the forest, going along the forest trail or down by the river,” he said.

“They are using the natural habitat that is there and these are things that we so often overlook when we think about play.”