That was until Reuben arrived and we quickly came to the conclusion that he's not your A typical child. By this I mean he hates other children, hates crowded places and hates loads of noise. So, trips to the park, playground or farms are actually really difficult and can be painfull..not only to him but to us too.
We have tried to take him to parks in the summer holidays, told him that its really fun...hell, I've even forced him to go on the play things for heaven's sake. But the truth of the matter is, he's just not into them.
A few years ago, I came across an adventure park near to where we live.
We went with a charity called SPDC (there's a blog post all about them on here too) and I have to say, its one of the best places we have taken Reuben.
I was dubious at first and thought the trip would end up like all the other ones, where we are there for 10 minutes then packing up and in the car before we have even got settled. But this place was different.
The adventure park is called Sycamore Adventure Centre in Dudley, West Midlands. We went there as part of a SEN session so it was a lot calmer and quitter...not too busy.
On arrival, Reuben just ran off and played until his hearts content. I simply couldn't believe it.
The park is set up to encourage play, the good old fashioned play that we used to do when we were kids. There's no televisions, no state of the art technology, just good old fashioned toys and stuff to play with. There are play workers there who supervise but no interfere, they play alongside the children and if that means building things with sticks they have found or rolling around in the sandpit, then that's what they do. Its brilliant!
To make it even more fantastic, there's a fence all the way around the park which I think makes Reuben feel secure ( and stops me from stressing that he is going to get lost) There's slides, swings, football, den's,climbing frames, things to climb in and under, a water wall, a log cabin that they call the hobbit house and they even have a real jeep and motorbikes that the children can play on (obviously not working. they are set in in the ground and all the engine parts taken out)
Reuben loves nothing more than to run around, dip his head in the water wall, climb into the tree house or dig around in the sand pit. He seems so at ease at Sycamore that its really lovely to see him so relaxed. There's plenty of space for him to not feel like the place is crowded and going to the SEN sessions is a lot better for him as he knows a lot of the children that attend.
Along with all the play equipment there is also a café and Reuben loves their chips. In fact everytime we go, he always asks if its time for chips yet (this can be as early as 10am!) they also do a great cup of tea, which is great for me as I can sit back and chill while knowing that Reuben is safe and happy.
Visiting Sycamore is always such an enjoyable time and Reuben always leaves with a gigantic smile on his face (and soaking wet, covered in sand) This is why I think places such as these should be recognised and shouted from the roof tops, so that other parents that are struggling to find somewhere for their child to go and be happy can find out abut them. I'm just so glad that we have found it because I know that we will be using it in years to come!
Here's the website if you fancy visiting..
http://www.sycamoreadventure.co.uk/
And here is the play timetable with the SEN sessions...
http://www.sycamoreadventure.co.uk/play/
Told you he always has a smile on his face at Sycamore
Reuben never comes away dry or clean but its all part of the fun, right???
Reuben's first time on a Go-Kart!
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