How would you feel about leaving your 8 year old alone in a supervised adventure playground?

[tigermoth]

There's an adenture playground near our home. It is staffed by playworkers who are positioned at the large entrance/exit gates to keep the children inside the high walled park. They also make sure the children play safely. Children need to sign in and out.

The playground consists of climbing frames, large rope swings and an indoor den with table football and craft tables. It is open winter and summer. All day Saturday and after school from 3.30 - 8.15 pm (floodlit in the winter).

I haven't visited it for ages, but a few weeks ago, my son (just turned 8) wanted to go so we dropped by. The playworkers told me I could leave him there and go away! Children 8 years and over can be left for an unlimited time.

We talked about the rules and I stayed for 10 minutes to watch how the playworkers managed the adventure playground. As I was satisfied, I told ds to do whatever the workers said and left.

My son was in seventh heaven - he is quite independent. The playgroud was just perfect for him and he saw some local friends of his own age there. He waved me off without a second glance. I came back half an hour later - no problem. We went a few more times and everything was fine.

Then ds said he wanted to being some money so he could get some chips. Apparently the older children (there are some 13/14/15 year olds at the playground) are given permission to go out to the nearby chip shop and will bring back chips for the younger children. I gave him the money but after I collected him, he told me he had gone to the shop himself with an older child. The playworkers knew he was going and he had their permission.

The chip shop is across a busy road, I did not know the child and I had not given my permission for ds to leave the adventure playground. All this is worrying.

I intend to talk to the playworkers to find out what went on and ask them not to let ds go out. Dh thinks even so, we should automatically stop using the adventure play ground ever again. Ds2 keeps eagerly asking when he can go back.

As for me, I was just looking forward to the prospect of some child free hours some Saturdays. No need to negotiate this with dh, no need to justify why I need to be alone - the first time in over 13 years I have had the possibilty of this freedom. (ds1 is 13 years old).

I know I can persuade dh to my way of thinking in the end (I usually do), as long as I feel reassured after talking to the playworkers.

But, it would be really useful to see if anyone here has experience of adventure playgrounds - positive or negative - or has views on whether it is ok to leave an 8 year old alone at one.

Obviously I don't know the set up at all but I would be surprised if the playworkers in a busy playground can keep a close eye on any of the children and remember parental preferences for each one (eg xx is not allowed to out with another child). For me it would very much depend on my son's understanding of the rules re being left on his own and what he is and is not allowed to do. If i trusted my son to stay there I would leave him - I would not rely on the playworkers to supervise him.

I would also want to make sure my son would be able to contact me if necessary - by leaving a mobile number with the playworkers.

It sounds like a brilliant facility to have.

bump!

good points, puddle. I do trust my son to stay, as he really wants to be there and when we usually to playgrounds he is good about keeping to a set area.

I think the playworkers are hot on stopping children exit the park, unless they have permission from them. But in this case, my son was given permission. I need to find out a bit more.

I won't give my son cash again, then he will have no money to spend at the shop, but still am undecided about it all.

I would be absolutely fine about leaving DS1 (also aged 8) alone at a supervised adventure playground but much less happy about him being allowed off-site by the playworkers. I don't feel that I could absolutely rely on him to stay with the older child in that circumstance and he is too much of a space cadet to cross a really busy road on his own.

Sorry - that doesn't help much, does it!

I would, but not if he could get out. Triky one really.

thanks for those thoughts - I do agree that the fact ds was let out by the staff is the worrying thing.

Is anyone else here taking their children to an adventure playground - if so, how are you finding it?

I agree, fine to leave him, not fine to allow him out. I think he needs to know the rules too, i.e. he can maybe hand over cash for chips but he cannot go.

the staff shouldn't have let him out.

the adventure playground does sound good though.

Agree about what a fantastic facility to have!

Can you find out what exact responsibility the playworkers have. Did DS tell them he was allowed to leave the playground maybe?
Are they just there to supervise the children while they are using the equipment?
Are they allowed to go home by themselves or do they have to be handed over to a named adult?
Regarding your time off - if your dh doesn't want him to go back perhaps he could take him out himself for a few hours each weekend to give you a break.

do you mean you didn't give permission here:

I think the playworkers are hot on stopping children exit the park, unless they have permission from them. But in this case, my son was given permission. I need to find out a bit more.

I take mine to an adventure playground for 5 to 15 year olds (one is nearly 6 and the other is 7) where I leave them.

I would be fine with the playground but not at him leaving it. I think you should have words because they probably shouldn't have done that.

Having said that, I stayed in the car the first time I left mine and watched and there were several periods of time when no-one was watching the gate and anyone could have walked in or out.

I think the nature of these places is that they are not that well supervised iyswim.

they should be well supervised (doing nvq in playwork atm). but we have to show that we're giving children free access to all types of play with the risks involved. we really have to just let them get on with it.

they should have your permission if they want to go out though.

My son knew he wasn't meant to leave the adventure play area. I gave him the money because he told me older children go out to get the chips for the younger children. I told him to give the money to a teenager, but I didn't emphasise that he must not buy them himself, as I thought perhaps the staff go to the chippy and take children with them (and that would have been ok).

I didn't specifically tell the staff not to let ds out to buy chips without another adult being present, as I assumed they would ban this anyway, becuase of his age. The staff are positioned right at the entrance, exit gates so can monitor who goes in and out.

For whatever reason, the staff gave him permission to leave the park in the care of a teenager. Perhaps they assumed that by giving him money to get chips, I had tacitly given my permission for him to buy them himself?

ds is independent and keen to seem 'grown up' and would have taken the chance to go out if there was any uncertainty over it.

Having said all this, I really want it to work out and will hopefully feel reassured by what the staff say. It is confusing because there is a sign saying children can be left here from ager 8 upwards but this facility should not be used for childcare . What does that mean exactly!

Yes, it is a brilliant facility - I could not believe my luck when the staff said I could leave my son there . A whole new world of weekend freedom suddenly opened up ... having a quiet saturday lunchtime drink with dh....seeing a film with teenage ds1 and having some quality time alone with him...going for a swim by myself.... having a browse round Greenwich market... all while ds1 is happily and safely occupied for a couple of hours.

Oh I do hope it works out! I am crossing my fingers I feel reassured after talking to the playworkers. At least half the 30 or so children were around 8 - 10 years old, so obviously it is popular place with families around here.

bump!

Cat64, they are funded via the council AFAIK. The playworkers are definitely council employees.

There are about half a dozen adventure playgrounds like this in our borough (SE London). I think the idea is to offer an alternative for children othere than playing in the streets or roaming aound getting into trouble - also a way of escaping the gang culture that can talk hold as children get older.

yes try the local council website and search for play.

they should have policies for letting a child out and you should have signed a form allowing. this. sounds like they may have missed it this time.

i think as long as the playworkers absolutley know you will kick their arses if this happens again - no problem - you might like to reinforce this by asking for an office number and policies and proceedures - insurance policy - child safety policy - who funds them - anything that makes them wet themselves a bit and take more notice.

Our council has adventure playgrounds like this, also loosely supervised by staff.

I have tried leaving the children there unsupervised, but it has never been a particular success because the vast majority of the kids who go there are from backgrounds where the children would be roaming the streets if the playground were not there. This includes several of my dd1's former classmates I'm not judging (much) but this is definitely the ambience. Both my older two found the whole setup a bit red in tooth and claw there was quite a lot of pushing and shoving, mine couldn't get turns on the zipwire because they weren't part of the gang and weren't big enough to exercise their muscle. And they are not shrinking violets, or overly protected -- they were able to deal with it, but didn't really enjoy the experience.

Based on my experience, I would say the function of the supervising youth workers is to keep the kids safe from drugs/violence/gang culture --- they are not there to exercise the same level of supervision as you or I might want for our slightly less tough or streetwise children.

If your ds is happy with the culture at the playground, then that's brilliant, but I think you will have to negotiate the finer details of the rules with him. You can ask the playworkers not to let him offsite even with older children, but I don't think you can expect them to make the same kind of judgements that you would.

I know what you mean, Frogs. My oldest son wouldn't go to this adventure playground because a particlar boy from his class went there. The boy was pretty uncontrollable even at school and, free of school rules and discipline, was even more wild.

That is why I had forgotten about this playground until recently. Ds2 however, seemed very happy there on the few occasions we went. He is certainly no shrinking violet - I would say he's very socially confident with children of all ages, even teenagers. He's quite agile and active, too, which probably helps in an adventure playground setting.

He plays out a little in our street along with a group of other children. Lots of them seem to go to the adventure playground, so there's a good chance he'd know people there.

custardo and southeastastra - good idea to find out about their policies and procedures. I cannot imagine knowingly letting an 8 year old out of the playground is ok. I will definitely be having their policies clarified to me when I talk to them and will report back here.

We have an adventure playground just don the road from us, which I took ds and dd to during the summer hols (dd is 5 and ds 3.5, so a fair bit younger than yours TigerMoth). It is fab, and the staff really nice. They have a tuck-hop there, which is only open at certain times, selling small snacks (like little Freddo choc frogs) and the children there are only allowed to buy one thing at a time. A friend told me that some parents who work part-time use the adventure playground as free childcare during the school hols (as you can leave children there as long as you like)!

I'm not sure what age I'd leave my dc. It depends so much on the child, and also whom they're with.

stop press! Just seen that a brand new adventure playground has opened near Greenwich town centre - about 5 minutes walk away from the Cutty Sark. We are going to check it out on Saturday. I will talk to the playworkers about their policy in keeping children securely inside.

The equipment looks good - wooden walkways, tree house, fort, an indoor computer room and more.

Hoping it will be a place I can leave ds2 while I spend a couple of hours alone in Greenwich. It is open betweek 11.00 am and 6.00 pm on Saturdays. Free of charge. The facility is open to anyone AFAIK.

So mumsnetters with children age 8 and over who want to have a childfree time in Greenwich - here's your chance!

Wow that sounds amazing i would definately leave my 8yr old dd somewhere like that but i agree with those who have said about trusting your child and making sure they are clear on the rules.