Ordsall Hall

Yesterday I took my three year old to Ordsall Hall in Salford.  It's a former stately home dating back to Tudor times.  After some restoration work, it's been re-opened to the public and also receives visits from schools as well as hosting public events. 


Story-Time

If the above makes me sound like one of those pushy parents who force-feeds their kids schooling in an effort to turn them into child-prodigies, let me explain.

On Wednesday, they run a story/play-time session for kids and my particular kid loves it.  The sessions take place in the Great Chamber.  According to the website, this was where 'the lady of the house would pass on valuable skills to her daughters'.  Yesterday it was where my son publicly demonstrated his new-found fondness for shouting out 'willy' and 'poo'.  Things have gone downhill over the years.

Anyway, I wanted to mention activities for pre-school children as I think they're very good for them. 

In the last few years, my wife and I have taken our son to loads of these sessions.  They have helped turn a shy child, who recoiled when he walked into a room of more than three people, into a kid who relishes shouting (what for him are) obscenities in front of a crowd.  Okay, so maybe that isn't the best way of selling it.

I have seen how groups such as this help kids in the following ways:


Socialising 

My son interacts a lot better now whenever he meets someone new.  As an only child he wouldn't have had a regular opportunity to do this.  A lot of parents I've spoken to about this say the same. 


Develop initiative

These sessions usually provide the opportunity for unstructured play where the child is given free reign to play how they choose.  Sounds simple but this is great for allowing them to develop independence and initiative. 


Access to equipment

Not every child will be lucky enough to have a sandpit/trike/swing at home. 


Access to support

The SureStart centre we took our boy to provided information and contact for speech therapy when we had concerns about his speech development.  A lot better than taking him to the local park and hoping to strike up a conversation with a passing Speech Therapist.

SureStarts do a lot of great work and provide a wide range of support for families.


They're cheap

This is appreciated more by the parents but it still counts.  They might ask for a contribution but it's usually voluntary and still works out a lot cheaper than the vast majority of activities for kids out there. 


Meet other parents/carers

Yes, another benefit for the parents but if you're at home with a baby/toddler all day a bit of adult conversation is welcome. 



If you have young kids I would urge you to check out community groups.  There are lots of benefits and they always have lots of fun. 

For those local to Swinton and surrounding areas, I may do a little run-down of the ones we took our son to past and present.