WATCH out for UBOs on Friday (March 22) - that’s Unidentified Bouncing Objects!
That’s because it’s March2Work Day 2013 and parents and children are being encouraged to travel to school or work using all sorts of wacky ways based on toys and games.
So expect to see commuters bouncing to work on space hoppers and children hopping to school or using pogo sticks.
March2Work Day is the idea of Chris Gregory, play development officer at The Children’s Centre. He devised last year’s March2Work campaign to highlight the need for children to spend more of their free time playing outdoors.
Each day that month he travelled the 3km from his home in Onchan to The Children’s Centre, Woodbourne Road, Douglas, using 22 different forms of ‘transport’ including a space hopper, scooter, hobby horse, kid’s bike, skateboard and a go-kart.
On other days he made the journey without walking on the cracks in the pavement, with his arms outstretched pretending to be an aeroplane, and hoola-hooping. This year he’s hoping parents and children will join him by using a variety of ways to get to work or school for one day.
Chris said: ‘This year, it’s going to be a one off day and we’re asking for as many people as possible to take part in the event – adults and children alike simply to travel to school or work using a childish form of transport.
‘If you are an adult and have fond memories of playing out unsupervised, yet are alarmed by the lack of children you seeing playing out today, then join us. Pretend to be a plane, ride a bike or spacehopper to work, it’s up to you! We’re also asking schools to take part. If you’re a parent and want your child to take part but are worried about the traffic danger along their route, then join us and make a statement – the more that take part the better!’
Chris is also planning to create a video featuring those who take part in the March2Work event. He said: ‘We’d like those who take part to film themselves for around 10 seconds. We’ll then make a compilation of all the footage, put it together, and release it on YouTube it may even make TV. Of course, we will need parental permission from children under-16 before they send us their videos.’
Chris recommends cycling as the easiest way for adults to take part, although being pushed along in a go-kart was a close second based on his experience last year.
If you want to submit a 10-second video clip to be included in Chris’s YouTube video about March2Work please email the clips to {mailto:chrisgregory@thechildrenscentre.org.im|chrisgregory(at)thechildrenscentre.org.im} (maximum file size 6MB) or upload the clips to YouTube and send the link to the same email address.
