Larkin Out

Nearly time for the clock change, for the street light/time to come in rule to go out the window and for my pictures to look like this. The images might be blurred but the play energy is crystal clear
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Aunts & Uncles - The Powerhouses Of Play
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I have such fond memories of my aunties and uncles playing games with us as children - super playful, super fun and never ever said they were too tired or didn’t want to play. They’d make family gatherings all about us.
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This is my sister in law who works her backside off day in, day out in her busy salon and she is still the first one to offer to push the go kart round the block or play a game of cricket on a Sunday.

My brother’s the same - he’ll play football all day long.
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Aunts & Uncles - powerhouses of play right? (*This includes your mum or dads best friends you call Auntie or Uncle!)
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The Oracles aka Playing Out] are recruiting for a CEO.
If you are
1. a bit oracly (just made this a word)
2. want to have your office on A FARM in Bristol (🐮🐷🐔 NB. These actual animals may not be there)
3. Can name atleast 5 uses for a wheelie bin on a play street
…….and most importantly…..
4. have the desire to continue what amazing work they started and change the world for our children you have until 4th October to apply. Check out their website or social media for details on how.
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Playing Out]

7.15pm - what else would you be doing?!
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Humberside Police Lifestyle project is back for summer 2022. Why not use this half term to create a team and decide on a project?
There are some great prizes to be won.
You need to be aged 10-18 to enter.
Register your team here https://www.humberside.police.uk/registering-lifestyle-team
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Play streets are a great example of a project that helps to bring our communities together, in turn making them safer and stronger.
Let’s do this!
Humberside Police

My Mum used to have a nice garden
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!

Top Trumps - Retro dens
Skill Level : 1/10
Equipment : Clothes horse and blankets or sheets.
Cost : Zero
Time : Minutes of set up for hours of play but packing it all back up and taking it back inside feels like it takes days. Why?!
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May the force to implement change in play be with you!
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Catch me if you can
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Sunday saw the street used for play again when the cousins came for the day. It was interesting to watch a 2 year old navigate the space, explore and push the boundaries of where she can go....and pushed it she did.....closely followed by these two.
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Knock, Knock
Who’s there?
Play Meet Street
Play Meet Street who?
Just told you - Play Meet Street - now sign here so we can play out.

Sometimes the residents we work with are a bit anxious about knocking on their neighbours' doors to tell them about play streets and ask if they're interested. We give them all the info they need and encourage them to knock with another neighbour or two, and they're almost always pleasantly surprised by how keen and friendly everyone is.

Even if some neighbours don't really like the idea, they're very very rarely rude or aggressive. We've heard of one or two instances amongst thousands of neighbours.

Usually, this first moment of contact is the start of whole new set of relationships on the street.

When the world’s sounding a scary place, knock on your mates door dressed in your soldier outfit, tell her to get hers on, get outside and play war to make sense of what you’re hearing.
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I was tootling along a housing estate across town today and spied this so I pulled over. It took me an embarrassingly long time to work out what this sign used to say (I’ll see how long it takes you - a larkin out Wordle game if you will!) but now it says ‘all games on’ and we’ll have that instead
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🤣🤣 Know Ball Games

The three stages of football almost every young lad experienced growing up. 😂

She existed. In all her weirdness, for about 30 minutes in the fabric of time before she face planted and melted back into the earth.
Sleep tight....Freaky Snow Woman.
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In that 30 minutes I witnessed planning, imagination, creativity, fine & gross motor skills, fresh air inhalation, laughter, tears, physical movement, comedic thought and parody (she needs mums wine bottle) and probably a whole load more I didn’t recognise......do you want to build a snowman (or weird snow woman?!)
I can see why you would.
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Was this forecast?!
When it snows, we go out into the street - we play here.
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“I’m not even doing anything, the wind is just pushing me”
Playing Out in Storm Dudley - Feb ‘22
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Garden envy.
Her.....
‘Why don’t we have a swing?’
‘I’d like a swing like this’
‘Can we have a swing?’
‘I wish I’d asked Santa for a swing’
‘I love swinging’
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Me.......takes a photo for prosperity, mutters an amusing comment about how we are not a family of swingers and walks away.......
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Larkers of the world
Light up ya bikes
Every boy and every girl
Light up ya bikes
Larkers of the world
Light up ya bikes
Aaaahhhhhhhh
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You sang it didn’t you?!
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City Centre Play Space
A good few years ago I spoke about how in Spain there are play areas everywhere - in city centres and beach fronts and pretty much everywhere you looked and they were all used and full. The Centenary Square in Bradford reminded me of those - it’s great - it’s got numerous water fountains in the middle with restaurants around and it was packed full of families and children playing in the early evening. There’s something joyful about town planning incorporating play and shared space. Well done Bradford - you nailed it
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Saturday play components.
•Cousins.
•Bubbles.
•Nerf.
•Earplugs (for me)
•Coffee (for me)
•Sweets (they think they’re for them but also for me)
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Wowsers......

Police called about kids 'vandalising' a pavement with chalk to play hopscotch 'I thought kids playing outside was better than sat in, in front of screens'

Summer 2021
A simple summer of skating, street play, silent discos and streamers of dreams hanging off the washing line. A no frills summer of friends and fun and finding the joy in staying home. You’ll do for me.

The ‘can I have 5 more minutes’ begging guide for the under 9’s.
1. Ignore the street lights coming on - don’t look up at dusk - at all, ever.
2. Work as a team. Don’t leave anyone unattended because they’ll be swept in by their parents when you aren’t looking.
3. Do not accept the first answer. Go for 2 and a half minutes and work down in 10 second increments.
4. Always mention ‘so and so’ who aged 8 was reportedly allowed to stay out ALL night - yeah it is true, ask his Mum.
5. Remind your parent they wanted you to play out and you are merely doing what was asked of you.
6. Note the tonal changes when being asked for the 10th time and slink in, slam your bike to the ground, slam a door, slam everything and stomp off to bed
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’s

Sounds amazing

They’re back! DIY SOS: The Big Build, is coming to Hull for a BBC Children in Need special! More info👉🏻 https://bbc.in/37C4juA

We lost one of our rabbits to the rainbow bridge 🌈 today so we’re sat out keeping the remaining rabbit company.
We’re playing a quick game of pop it as shared by Daisy - . The extra large and very worn dice is the only dice we can find in the whole house and we’ve been trying to roll a 1 for the win for 10 minutes now. It’s getting tense......
I may cheat just so we can end this...
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Can you remember yours? 🚲🚲

CHOPPER ENVY: THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT FIRST BIKE



It seems almost unbelievable to note that the last blog post I wrote was a whole year ago - covid has a lot to answer for. It was about my first bike.

So. I have a question for you, a quote, and a link to go and read the whole piece (then tell me what you think of it).
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"I had learnt to ride a bike on one my dad had built out of odds and ends and then painted bright electric blue (no way would I ever loose that one in the dark). He taught me how to ride it in the age-old way of letting me loose on the local car park while he held on to the back of the saddle to help my balance. I kept saying to him, ‘Don’t let go, don’t let go!’ and he replied repeatedly, 'I won’t!’ with me not realising at the key moment that his replies were getting fainter and fainter." (from the blog)

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So, what was your first bike? Did it help you be independent? What memories do you have of it? Extra points for photos.

http://www.marc-armitage.com/blog-archive/chopper-envy_111s83
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for the latest online and in person PD with Marc see www.facebook.com/marc.armitage.at.play/events

Love getting in from a night shift and seeing evidence of play that’s happened whilst I’ve been at work (not football in the lounge mind, that makes me mad!)
I get a story of what’s gone on. The stones on the ledge, the muddy boots, the discarded tin lid for the box that holds her precious stones....will look forward to hearing how the boots got muddy when I wake up later.
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Bedtime for me 😴
Have a great day of play!
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This is a great idea! Know anyone that would want to get involved? I wonder if we could have one for ages 5-16 too - they’d have some cracking ideas and drawings to match!

Are you aged 16 - 24? Do you want to help shape how Humberside Police works with our local communities? Want the chance to use your voice to support others? If yes, contact [email protected] for more info about our new Youth IAG.