ONEIDA — One of Oneida’s newest family play centers, Wild Child, located at 703 Stone St., recently hosted an evening event just for the local Oneida Kids Club.

Pamela Brewer, the owner of Wild Child, had been hearing of all the wonderful community service projects that Kids Club has been conducting for the local community through the papers, as well as other parents and businesses. Amazed at the hard work and dedication these children were showing to help in their local neighborhoods, schools, parks and businesses, Brewer opened the doors for Kids Club to enjoy a free evening of “finding their inner monkey” at Wild Child.

Nearly 40 Kids Club members and several parents attended the indoor play center. Amazed by the creative, innovative, and immaculate space, Katrina Blanchard, parent of two members, commented, “We need more places like this in our area. Not only do we need to offer kids a world of imagination, away from the television and video games, but show them that contributing to our society has benefits for everyone. For local business owners to open the door to these children and thank them in such a special way for their hard work keeps encouraging them to continue their efforts — which will certainly benefit our entire community.”

The Oneida Kid’s Club has more than 50 active members from Oneida and neighboring towns and school districts. Projects are booked throughout the year that benefit local businesses, schools, parks, conservation and charity organizations.

Wild Child offers an indoor playground, rock climbing walls, and different play areas consisting of toys/games for a variety of ages. It hosts open public hours, as well as private parties.

For more information, stop in to visit Oneida’s newest play place at 703 Stone St., Oneida, contact Pamela Brewer at 363-9453 or visit:

www.wildchildfamily.com

Posted from the Calgary Herald – February 18, 2010

“If you make a bird craft, we leave them open-ended art materials, and they create the bird themselves,” Mattatall says.

“We’re here to set up an environment to encourage the kids to go play in different centres, where they can learn about real-life challenges they can face.”

In addition to its preschool program, Joso’s is a day care, drop-in child care centre and public-access indoor playground.

“We’re here to prepare them for the next step in life, which would be kindergarten, which is definitely a more structured area.

“With our preschool, we run a structured program, but we also allow a chance for free choice and free play,” says Mattatall.

Joso’s staff members ask children open-ended questions to help them come to their own conclusions about things so the learning can happen naturally.

“We provide them with some tools, and let them go. Children learn social skills, they get to enact real-life situations in our dress-up centre, they practise social skills -sharing, taking turns, being patient and respectful,” she says.

“When they play, it gives us a chance to step back and observe them. It can help us identify any developmental issues or concerns that we can see in the way they play. We’re here to help each child develop a positive self image, and to have fun.”

Kaylee Kent was a bit shy at first, but before long she was smiling and laughing as she played in the indoor playground at the Medical College of Georgia Children’s Medical Center.

Kaylee, 3, is among many children who have enjoyed the playground since it opened last month, said child life specialist Abbie Suskay.

“Kids are in here all the time,” she said. “That’s the best part about it. This space is not closed down. It has turned into another congregating space, where the family can get together outside of the hospital room.”

It gives them a place to have fun, said Sandra McVicker, the interim president and CEO of MCG Health Inc.

“It’s bad enough that children have to come to the hospital when they’re sick, and this provides for them and their siblings a place to come out and be distracted from all of the things that go on in a hospital room,” she said.

Children in the hospital’s Kids’ Art program selected a dinosaur theme for the playground. It sits atop padded flooring and includes a large flower tree, dinosaurs they can sit on and crawl under or through, a balancing log and wall games.

The playground offers more than a place to play, Ms. Suskay said.

“When they first had the idea to do this, they were thinking of how it could not only be a place that could normalize the environment but one that could also have therapeutic purposes,” she said. “It’s a fun place to play, but it’s also an inviting and a fun way to do therapy.”

Many of the playground features can be used to work on gross motor skills through play, she said.

The playground was funded by donations to the Children’s Miracle Network.

By Nikasha Dicks | original story

In late 2008, amidst one of the worst financial years in U.S. history, Wisconsin Dells entrepreneur Todd Nelson gambled big and doubled down.

While other Dells resorts were slashing costs and mothballing future projects, Nelson’s Kalahari resort was installing a six-story indoor Ferris wheel, a two-story elevated go-cart track, two 32-foot climbing walls, bowling lanes, mini-golf with waterfalls, rope trapeze and other African fantasy adventures in a $20 million indoor amusement park spectacularly enclosed in glass. (more…)