Leading childcare provider Partou has celebrated the benefits of play for children by organising a Play Day at its settings across the country, raising more than £3,000 for charity partner UNICEF.
At Partou Curiosity Corner in Southport, children enjoyed a range of UNICEF blue-themed activities including a blue disco and cake decorating.
At Partou Sunny Days in Ellesmere Port, activities were inspired by the children's current interest in messy play, with a Play Day theme of ‘Let's Get Messy.’
In Leeds, children at Partou Magic Garden took part in an array of physical activities including beanbag throwing, Connect 4 and target practice, all designed to be fun and engaging but also to support social interaction, coordination and physical development.
In nearby Bradford, Partou Woodlands Park hosted a special tractor visit with the children later enjoying a hungry caterpillar hunt during Forest School.
And at Partou Alexandra in Redditch, children celebrated with rainbow-themed invitations to play and a bake sale.
Partou Play Day also saw six teams take part in multiple events at its Nursery Support Centre in Manchester, including a memory game, an egg and spoon relay and a penalty shootout, adding a further £300 to the overall total.
Amongst other highlights were a nursery-themed quiz and a bake off where a member from each team brought in homemade sweet treat - judged by Partou Co-Managing Director John Everton, and Commercial Director Chris Conchie - with a batch of scones the triumphant bake. The aptly named ‘Making up the Numbers,’ comprised of members of the finance department, were announced as overall winners.
Partou Play Day coincided with UNICEF’s International Day of Play and the publication of the ‘Partou Guide to Play,’ which draws on survey responses from almost 900 early years educators across 99 Partou nurseries in the UK.
Kirsty Jackson, Partou Co-Managing Director, said: “We had a fantastic day in aid of UNICEF, our charity partner.
“I would like to offer my sincere thanks to the families, children and Partou team members around the country who took part in Partou Play Day and donated so generously.
“So far, Partou has raised more than £11,000 for UNICEF who we are proud to partner with.
“Through play, young children learn to make sense of the world around them, while developing language, social skills, emotional confidence, creativity and resilience.
“However, play is not just for children, so it was great to see Partou team members of all ages enjoying a day of fun and games at our Nursery Support Centre whilst raising lots of money for a wonderful cause.”
The ‘Partou Guide to Play’ is available for families to access free of charge on the Partou website.