The NORCA Play Rangers are helping children aged 5 - 12 rediscover outdoor play!

Based in three of Norwich's parks - Waterloo, Eaton and Pilling - the Play Rangers give children the opportunity to get involved in imaginative and creative outdoor play whilst providing a guaranteed safe adult presence in the parks and play areas for both children and parents.

NORCA's two part time Play Rangers, Ruthe and Isabel also visit schools and community groups to encourage the children to get outside and play in the parks and to give them a taste of what the Rangers offer in their play sessions.

The Play Rangers are based in the play areas in the parks at guaranteed times during term time (see timetable) and during the school holidays. For holiday timetable updates see this website and the notice boards in the parks. The play sessions are informal and although the Rangers usually have some equipment with them, the sessions are mostly led by the children's imagination! All children must be accompanied by adults and all activities are free!

NORCA's Play Ranger service, which was launched in October 2008, is funded by the BIG Lottery Play Initiative Fund and supported by Norwich City Council. The BIG Lottery's Play Initiative Fund was set up in response to the Governments review of Children's Play - 'Getting Serious about Play'. In funding Play Initiatives the BIG Lottery aims to ensure that more children take part in a wider range of good, inclusive and accessible play experiences, that children have more choice and control over their play and that children develop greater wellbeing through play (including healthy growth, knowledge and understanding, creativity and capacity to learn). The Norwich City Council Play Strategy reflects these aims and highlights the need for a Play Ranger service. For a copy of the Norwich Play Strategy please contact Paul Nicholson, Children & Young People's Officer Community Services, at Norwich City Council on 0344 980 3333

Follow our Play Ranger Tweets at twitter.com/PlayrangerNORCA

Norwich Play Rangers will bring your local park alive this summer with lots of exciting activities for you to enjoy!

Every Thursday during the summer holidays the Rangers will be in Waterloo Park Play Area from 11am - 1pm and Eaton Park Play Area from 2.30pm - 4.30pm; and every Friday during the summer holidays at Pilling Park from 11am - 1pm. On Saturdays 31st July, 14th and 28th August the Play Rangers will also be in Waterloo Park Play Area from 11am - 1pm!

The Rangers will have lots of free fun activities for you to do including scavenger hunts, bug hunting, cricket plus some special theme weeks:-
24th July - 1st August is national Love Parks Week! and the Play Rangers will be having a Party In Your Park theme for their play sessions!

Decorate your park for a party! Make colourful mobiles, bunting and decorations to hang from the trees, dance to some music and play party games! Bring the whole family along - you could even bring a picnic!

Love Your Parks Week sessions are at the following parks:-

• Waterloo Park, Thursday 29th July 11am - 1pm
• Eaton Park, Thursday 29th July 2.30pm - 4.40pm
• Pilling Park, Friday 30th July 11am - 1pm (Hamlet Toy Library will be joining in with this one!)

Come and Bish Bash Bong! in the parks from 19th - 20th August. The Play Rangers will be making recycled musical instruments! Design and make your own weird and wonderful instruments, and play them in the parks:-

• Waterloo Park, Thursday 19th August 11am-1pm
• Eaton Park, Thursday 19th August 2.30pm - 4.30pm
• Pilling Park, Friday 20th August 11am-1pm

Hamlet Toy Library will also be joining in with these sessions and bringing along their musical instruments!

This year, come and see the Play Rangers at the Norwich City Council KidZones events, where they will be spinning a magical Wishing Web under the trees using wool, fabric, ribbon and any interesting things you can find in the park! Come and help make the wish-catcher and put your wishes, dreams, or jokes on the web. Will the Wishing Web Spider spin your wish true?

The Play Rangers will also be making mobiles and streamers to hang from the trees, organising a treasure hunt and holding a poster competition to design a new poster for the Play Rangers! The winning entry will be picked at the end of the holidays and used for advertising the Play Rangers. The winner will receive a mini Play Ranger kit!

Look for the orange flag - and find the Rangers under the trees to play games and have some fun in the shade!

The KidZones are free events for 5-12 year olds at the following parks:-

• Heartsease Towers, 28th July 11am - 4pm
• Pilling Park, 4th August 11am - 4pm
• Waterloo Park, 11th August 11am - 4pm
• Eaton Park, 18th August 11am - 4pm
• Sloughbottom Park, 25th August 11am - 4pm

National Play Day is on 4th August and the Play Rangers will be having special activities at KidZones to celebrate!

Please remember that the children can come and go as they please during the activities and that all children must be accompanied by an adult!

We have a new Play Ranger! We'd like to welcome Stacey to the team who is covering for Ruthe whilst she is on maternity leave. Stacey is with us till December and has some great play ideas and games! Stacey is really excited about meeting you all in the parks over the next few months - so come and say hello to her!

The Play Rangers can be contacted on 01603 760529 or Contact The Play Rangers by email.

To contact the Play Ranger Supervisor, Cathie Davies, phone 01603 760529 or Contact The Play Rangers.

View Play Rangers Parks in a larger map