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The new "C" Word

Wed, 11 Mar 2020 10:46:12 GMT

It's a scary thing, but....

Coronavirus, the new scary "C" word....as if the world needed another one! If what they tell us is true, it is our elderly and vulnerable friends and family members and those who have underlying health conditions, that are most at risk from this new virus. However, as parents, our natural instinct is to fiercely protect the ones we love and hence we go into Arnie-esque stealth mode, taking extensive precautions and preaching endlessly to our children about washing our hands.

As a venue for families and children, World of their Own already carries out much more than the standard hygiene requirements. We sometimes joke about it, but we are actually quite obsessive about our need for the play village to be tidy, clean and in order. For our own peace-of-mind and customer comfort, we also:

* Limit the number of children and adults in each play experience for greater manageability of our cleaning standards.
* Completely close for an hour between every play experience to clean down all touch surfaces, toilets and food and drink areas with antibacterial cleaners.
* Thoroughly clean the play village and Diner at the end of each day (so 3 cleans a day in total).
* Perform a deep clean of the premises once a week, or more if required.
* Ask all guests to hand sanitise with “magic mousse” on arrival as an extra precaution.
* Ensure all staff use hand sanitisers regularly during our interactive play experiences

Coronavirus, or Covid-19, is a scary thing, but let’s keep it in perspective. More people die of tuberculosis each day, and of air pollution every five hours, than have succumbed in two months of Covid-19. Children seem to be largely untouched. A vaccine is in the (admittedly fairly long) pipeline. We know where the illness came from and the situation in that country is slowly improving. The vast majority of cases are asymptomatic. Apparently it can not survive in hot temperatures and you can kill it with antiseptic spray, so science guru's are all over it and clinical trials are under way. This is not to downplay what has happened so far or predict what will, but simply to keep a sense of proportion about Coronavirus.

However, there's another side to this story too... if Coronavirus causes customers to stay at home or away from public places, the economy will most certainly be affected, but it will be absolutely catastrophic for small businesses.

As a fledging, small business, we are already starting to notice an affect due to public concern about Coronavirus, even though there’s no widespread outbreak or official guidance to stay inside....yet. If there's a Government-enforced lockdown, we have to hope that World of their Own, and thousands of small businesses like us, can survive.

Easter in the West

Wed, 04 Mar 2020 18:19:34 GMT

School Holiday Workshops in the Wild West

It’s a little known fact that the cowboys and cowgirls of the Wild West, celebrated Easter in style. Ok… well maybe not all cowboys and cowgirls, but the ones at World of Their Own certainly do!

We’ve heard your cries, and this Easter we’ll be hosting a total of 7 (yes 7) fabulous Wild West Workshops, which will take place over the two week holiday period on a Tuesday and Thursday.

Aside from the fact that they give you hard working mommas and poppas a chance to have a well-deserved cup of coffee and slice of cake, whilst your little outlaws are ‘duh duh duuuuuuh’… off school; They also provide a fantabulous opportunity for your cowboys and cowgirls to immerse themselves in a world of imaginative play , eat a delicious Wild West hot lunch, and get creative in an arts and crafts workshop, where they could be making anything from dream catchers to Indian headdresses!

The total length of one of our Wild Western workshops is 2.5 hrs, which is split as follows…

1 hr 30 mins – Imaginative play in our authentic wild west village, where children have opportunity to visit the ‘Ol’ West Outfitters’ and try on the cowboy or cowgirl attire of their choice, before exploring the rest of what the prairie has to offer.

30 mins – Creative Art Workshop

30 mins – Chow down on the hot Wild West lunch or tea of Golden Chicken Nuggets & Wedges followed by Haybale Flapjack or Bustin' Brownie! Let’s face it, they’re going to need an energy boost after crawling down 'em tunnels and jumping around on our Rodeo bounce house!

Nothing feels more worthwhile than seeing your little outlaws leave the Wild West looking exhausted and happy, and seeing you mums and dads leave looking rested and re-fuelled (no doubt following the coffee and cake pick me up, but still…)

We are now taking bookings for our popular Wild West Workshops y’all, so be sure to grab one before they roll away with the tumbleweed!

Role play round-up!

Fri, 21 Feb 2020 12:30:38 GMT

Imaginative Role Play Sessions in the Heart of Harrogate

Imagination…

Aside from the fact that it offers children the chance to identify and learn about the adult world, it also supports the development of essential skills such as sharing, turn taking and the ability to negotiate.

A child’s emotional development stems from how they interact with and come to perceive the world around them, and imaginative play is one of the key ways in which we are able to facilitate that. In truth, imaginative play provides children with the opportunity to make sense of their world. It offers them the chance to act out what they perceive to be the adult world; supporting the developing of those vital social skills that we so heavily rely on in later life.

For us grown ups, it can be easy to underestimate the importance of imaginative play, or simply just forget how much we used imaginative play as children ourselves… there was a time when we too were playing with our train sets or dressing up our dollies. From small world play at a very young age, to experimenting with dressing up in our parents clothes and shoes as we grew a little older – imaginative play is always there, and an integral part of our development, both creatively and emotionally. There is now overwhelming research to suggest that creativity and creative learning, is closely linked to an increase in academic performance too!

To be creative is to exercise the brain, to think logically, to problem solve and become increasingly in touch with English language, sensory experiences as well as developing a further connection with space and time. Alongside this, there is a reason children are naturally inclined to want to learn through play; their brains are always developing and making vital connections, and play of this kind facilitates those connections, shaping them in to the adults they will one day become.

Fortunately, there is now a Harrogate Children’s Play Centre that accommodates all of this and more, a place where imagination is at the epicentre of their play experience, and where children quite literally find themselves in a ‘world of their own’…

Currently featuring a realistic old ‘Wild West’ town, with authentic props and scenery to support childrens imaginative and creative development, World of Their Own is the UK’s first children’s play centre of its kind. Unlike ‘soft play’ or other more traditional play areas, it is a custom designed, play village, made with impeccable attention to detail, from the intricate double height sky lines painted on the walls floor to ceiling to the hand crafted scenery throughout.

At ‘World of Their Own’ children can touch a seemingly real cactus and not be prickled, be locked in the old town jail but find the secret escape, travel through tunnels but pretend that they’re actually being transported to a new place and time, develop their hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills by knocking over stacks of cans with beanbags, feed horses in the stable and ride them too!

It is an undeniably magical experience, and one that inspires ore and wonder at every visit!

To book onto a YEEEEHAH worthy play session or choose from one of our fabulous parties then just follow this link .

The first Honky Tonk session!

Tue, 04 Feb 2020 20:50:33 GMT

Harrogate’s Only Wild West Village Opens its Doors for their First Pre-school Adventure!

Deep at the heart of Harrogate’s Hornbeam Park, all was quiet in the Wild West village…

The snakes laid sleepily in their boots, the ranch doors swung gently in the breeze, the tumble weed rolled idly past the cowgirl saloon and the jail stood unoccupied UNTIL…

A hoard of rowdy young outlaws burst through the front door, kicked off their boots, straightened their hats and paid a visit to the ‘Old West Outfitters’, suiting and booting themselves ready for the hootin’ tootin’ Wild West adventure that lay ahead… and boy was it adventure!

For the first time in our brand new location at Hornbeam Park, we opened our ranch doors for the first ‘Honky Tonk’ Pre-school Adventure, led by Sheriff Jess and Sheriff Lee.

After taking in the authentic Wild West scenery, our youngest outlaws went on a sensory adventure; helping to build a campfire, toast marshmallows and hotdogs, ride their horses and swing their lassos - YEEEHAH!

The cow kids were given some wild challenges, including the ‘Wild Snake Hunt’, the ‘Tonky Tunnel Challenge’ and a ‘Rodeo Rally’, alongside singing some of those old favourites (with a Wild West twist) and using all of their senses to smell, feel and touch the Wild West world around them.

The World of Their Own Wild West village at Hornbeam park features an array old western shops and ranches, where the little cowgirls and cowboys can try their luck at escaping the Sheriffs Jail, rob the Wild West Bank, experiment with mocktails in the Cowgirl Saloon, perfect their aim shooting down tins at Tin Can Valley, take over in the Cowboy Shoot Out, and if they’re feeling brave enough - explore down the Spooky Gold Mine, before trying to stay on their feet in the Rodeo Bounce House… Phew.

Alongside all of this; our special ‘Honky Tonk’ adventures (which are geared up for only the youngest outlaws in the west), integrate songs, music and activities for the whole family to take part in and enjoy!

Book HERE to join in the rip roaring fun at our next Honky Tonk Harrogate play session running every Tuesday and Friday 9.30am-11.30am YEEEEEEHAHHHHH