September 9, 2024
Borrow and Play!

Moving to a new country can be isolating – and that was certainly the case for Anne when she moved to Cardiff five years ago with her husband and 5-week-old son. Far away from her family in Canada, Anne tried joining baby groups and meeting other parents through apps like Peanut, but then COVID hit and she ended up stuck in the house without making much progress.
Post-COVID, she emerged without a connection to her neighbourhood or other families in the city. So, she decided to create an outdoor play event and invite everyone from the surrounding estates to join in.
Borrow, recycle, create, play!

With support from the local community council, Anne borrowed an outdoor games kit, den building kit, and bubble machine from ACE Benthyg. She bought scrap art material from Re-Create, including washable paint sticks, stencils, stamps, and cardboard packaging repurposed into canvases. She received donations of mega blocks and footballs from neighbours, bought a few kites and extra balls, repurposed an old shelf to make a bean bag toss, and got sidewalk chalk for mazes, hopscotch, obstacle courses and tic-tac-toe. Another neighbour lent her a gazebo and board games.

Anne created posters, shared them on her estate’s Facebook group and printed them out to post around the neighbourhood. She worked with the local community council to involve others from surrounding areas. On a sunny Saturday morning in May, Anne and her family set up the outdoor games in the shared green space on their estate.
Coming Together
25 people joined the first event. Children aged 3 through 18 came with their parents, grandparents, and other family members. The outdoor play pack from ACE Benthyg included a parachute, foam tennis and badminton rackets with balls and birdies, and a football. It also came with ideas for outdoor games like tag and stuck-in-the mud. The rackets were a hit - everybody had a go with them. The parachute was popular with the younger children, who loved hiding under it.
The event attracted people from different cultural backgrounds, especially those who had moved the area recently, as well as others who had lived locally for several generations and were happy to use the green space with their families in a new way.

“ACE Benthyg delivered the play kits and bubble machine on Friday morning and picked them up the following Friday morning, which worked perfectly,” says Anne.
“Being able to borrow items means we can try out different games without buying them, which makes the events a lot more cost-effective, and I don’t have to store everything in my house. It also goes along with the spirit of the event, which is just to get everyone out with their families, playing, having fun, trying new things, and getting to know others in the area.”
The event was popular and Anne has planned a series of events over the summer. She plans to borrow the outdoor kit from ACE Benthyg again, and to borrow additional items for outdoor family activities like picnics, hikes, scavenger hunts, bug hunting and more.
“For me, it’s been a really nice way to connect with other people in the area and meet families with children the same age as my son. I grew up going in and out of my neighbours’ houses and playing with other kids on my street. I wanted to create the same opportunities for my son in a fun way.”
Want to create your own outdoor play event? Or just looking for ways to entertain your children over the summer break? Check out your local library of things and start borrowing.