Fun for all . . . The new playground planned for Caroline Bay will provide ample opportunity for grandparents and parents to play with children, rather than remaining on the sidelines. 

THE COURIER

A trip with the grandchildren to the Caroline Bay playground is set to become a whole new experience.

While grandparents will be still able to sit and watch their mokopuna play, the planned $2.2 million playground will also provide plenty of opportunities to channel their inner child and get in on the action. With a key focus for the CPlay committee being inclusivity, playground elements have been chosen to be accessible to as many ages, abilities and sizes as possible, meaning grandparents and other adult caregivers won’t be limited to providing encouragement from the sidelines.

And with an increasing number of grandparents now caring for their grandchildren full time, a playground that provides ways to play together and hours of free fun is even more important. That provides immeasurable benefits for both adult and child, CPlay committee member Roselyn Faith says. “When the child is in charge of imaginative play with a trusted and caring adult, that does magical things for a child’s development, and strengthens bonds. “So they are growing their grandchildren’s minds and creating that strong bond, and that’s a special legacy grandparents can give.”

Grandparents are among the many people getting behind fundraising efforts for the new playground. Fire and Safety Training owner and granddad Gordon Ireland has been coming down to the bay for the past 40 years or so, and says the new playground will be a great way for adults and children alike to get out and enjoy some fresh air. His company has given $10,000 to the project, and he says he’s looking forward to enjoying the new playground with his grandchildren.

A $50,000 donation from Oceania Dairy Ltd also has a strong family focus as the company employs many people from the Timaru district and surrounding areas, general manager Logan Hanifin says. “Their families and of course their children all come to Timaru, so we wanted to support this local playground development and ensure that our existing families and the families we relocate to the district get a great fun place to hang out during their weekends.” Among them will be environment and supply general manager Shane Lodge, who is a regular weekend grandparent visitor to the playground.

CPlay committee member Leanne Prendeville is another grandparent keen to experience the new playground with her grandchildren. “When we moved to Timaru I would take my children down to the playground to play. ‘‘I now take my grandchildren . . .It would be fantastic to be able to play on the equipment with my grandchildren and create new memories on this amazing new playground.”

CPlay secretary Lynette Wilson also can’t wait. ‘‘The challenge as a grandparent is keeping up with the littlies as they race around from one thing to another. I’m looking forward to the new CPlay playground being a more cohesive space, with challenges for their ever-changing and evolving abilities, the many bonuses being the inclusion of a lighthouse complete with slides, double-flying fox and shipwreck, where their imagination can transport them into another realm — so important for their growth. ‘‘I love the stories they tell as they explore. Wide eyed-and smiling, happy faces — what more could a nana and granddad ever wish for? How exciting will this new playground be! Lets do it!’’ When the child is in charge of imaginative play with a trusted and caring adult, that does magical things for a child’s development, and strengthens bonds.