Delta's Adventure Park
My kids and I were on our usual park stroll when we happened to come across this wicked pilot project that Delta hopes to have become a permanent summer program.
Here's Delta's take on this initiative
I love that Delta, my amazing community is taking the initiative and supporting outdoor and independent play. The idea of the adventure playground is to allow children the opportunity to explore an unstructured environment WITHOUT the guidance of their caretakers. Children are free to roam independently and to let their imaginations run wild. I was surprised to see that they had hammers, nails and SAWS available to our children to use but was told that by providing them with these tools, they would learn to assess risk.
Side note: This really struck a cord with me as when I was growing up, I learned a lot from just being able to play on my own, or with friends without my parents breathing down my neck. I climbed trees almost 3 stories high, I swung off my neighbours roof and made use of the natural resources around me to make forts, chairs and everything I could think of! I loved making mud pies, cement blocks, getting not just my hands dirty but my clothes, my face, my EVERYTHING covered in mud. My parents weren't always thrilled with the decisions I made but I really owe it to them for not being a helicopter parent and allowing me to learn on my own.
My kids ended up painting trees, playing in the forts, hammering whatever they could find and really and truly enjoying the experience. I'm so excited that this is here for the rest of the summer and can't wait to head back again.
It's a FREE experience, open 7 days a week, from 11am to 7pm, until September 3.
For more information, check out: www.delta.ca/AdventurePlay