Old park made NEW!!!

Our local park has been closed for a few months now for some much needed renovation.

So there was a great bit of excitement when we drove past the other day and noticed that the workman had cleared the last of their tools and the temporary fences were pulled down and the park was teaming with children.

The kids were begging to head in and check out all the new toys and slides however we were already heading out and decided we would try to head down early Sunday morning and beat the rush of locals who had also taken note that the park was open again.

We were not so lucky, the place was packed, birthday parties, mum's groups and of course us! Despite the large number of people we decided to head in anyway, the boys all seemed excited and the meltdowns over the crowded toys were probably going to easier to deal with than a car load of cranky children driving out of the car park without even stepping foot in the park.

I learnt a long time ago, with any child, if you tell them you are going somewhere and you then take it back, you are in for a rough time.

So in we went, all six headed straight for the slides. The old park had only had one slide that was very old, very high and very difficult for any of my kids apart from Miss 12 to access. No stairs only a chain ladder and a fire pole. Not exactly easy for three boys with a disability or toddlers to reach.

The new slides were atop a large ramp that could easily be accessed by anyone, even in a wheelchair. They are much lower and have safety mat all around them. The security this offered meant all my kids jumped straight in and had a go.

After about 20 minutes, someone discovered perhaps the best seesaw I have ever seen in my life. I must say I'm a bit jealous we didn't have these when I was a kid. It was large enough and designed so well that all six of my kids hoped on together.

This was the highlight of the morning, they loved it. I must admit it was a tad exhausting pushing them up and down but was well worth the effort. When we started to notice a couple of kids waiting patiently to have a turn we stoped the ride and got the kids to hop down. This did not sit well with Master 4. Social norms like taking turns and waiting patiently have not been mastered yet.

It was the beginning of the end for him, poor little guy, he did eventually hop down and ran away to hide. So while dad went to find him we decided to try the new and improved flying fox. This was apart of the old playground however some charming vandals had cut all the seat belts this made the ride absolutely unsafe for anyone under 5. So with a brand new seat and safety mat underfoot my kids were able the have a turn for the first time in nearly a year.

This was also a winner, I love the fact that the new seat has a five point harness so that even the children with a severe disability will be able to swing and experience that lovely feeling of flying through the air. Unless like Master 6 that feeling brings forward a rush of terror. Hats of to him though he did give it a go but was very happy when we got him out.

Last on our hit list was the swing. After the flying fox Master 6 was not at all interested and Master 4 had slipped back into "I want to go home" mode. Master 10 likes the park but hates people looking at him, while he had a go on the seesaw, after that he was out. He was however very eager to help push the girls on the swing.

And push he did, I was a little worried he may actually make them take flight he was pushing with such force, but the girls loved it. They screamed for more and Miss 3 begged her brother to push it higher, something that I'm sure was not possible.

They had a great morning and all the energy used has meant that I've had a relatively quiet afternoon, something that doesn't happen around here very often. Everyone had a sleep and that means dinner is done and I may actually get them all feed, bathed and ready for bed without any overtired meltdowns.

I'm so very excited to have the park back in action. It's close to home and fully fenced so Master 4 can't escape and neither can the wandering toddlers. Its new toys are fantastic and all the extra safety mat has made it a great place for all children no matter what their level of ability is.

Thanks for reading and I would love to see what local parks are available in your area!

@mumofmany.

P.s. I unfortunalty didn't manage to get photos of the swings and the slides today as I had my hands at the ready to assist little people and to help maintain Master 4's need for a large amount of personal space. We will be heading back soon and I promise to get some better shots!