Imagine if someone told you it was possible to stumble across an enchanted forest, right in the middle of a bustling city. You'd probably think to yourself that they'd read one-to-many Enid Blyton books as a child. Or more likely, indulged in a little too much 'fairy juice' as an adult.
But believe it or not, it's actually true. You can take just a few steps off a crowded London street and find yourself in a secret world, complete with its very own 'Faraway Tree'.
Archway Children's Centre - a recently completed parent's paradise, boasting contemporary architecture 7,502sqm of fantastic light-filled space, polished wooden floors and brightly coloured, modern furnishings - is where all the magic takes place.
So much more than your average nursery or day care, this centre is designed to appeal to the senses as well as the practicalities. In addition to providing a safe and stimulating place for young minds to spend the day, the centre also offers a huge range of services for the parents, including family support and outreach, a health and child psychology clinic, access to training opportunities and advice on tax credits. For those weary souls needing to relax and recharge, the centre even has it's own café and yoga classes onsite.
And as if all of this wasn't enough, the latest string to the centres bow is going to have children and curious parents flocking in from miles around.
This week at the centre, it is the Treehouse Life team who are proving to be the most popular attraction of all. Why? Because we are, we're pleased to say, the ones responsible for injecting a little bit extra magic into an already fantastic place. Yes, we're currently building a beautiful, custom designed treehouse in the centre's outdoor space.
We say treehouse, but it's really so much more than that. It's a place where the children can go to play and talk, or simply sit quietly in the Hammock Bridge and listen to a story being read. It's a chance for them to find out what they can do and learn when to push the boundaries. It's a place where they are safe to discover, imagine and aspire. It's somewhere exciting to eat their lunch or even take a nap. It's an opportunity to escape the real world and make up new lands of their very own.
Of course this project wouldn't even have been made possible, without the vision of an incredibly ambitious Head Teacher. Someone who has a refreshingly positive attitude to outdoor play, and realises the untapped potential of all that children can discover.
We have to say, that as jobs go, this one would be difficult to beat. Everyday we have had the honour of working amongst the smiling, friendly staff and a bunch of delightful children, all brimming with the wonderful innocence of youth. Archway Children's Centre is a place that truly is filled with happiness. A small slice of heaven in a noisy city, where the atmosphere is both charged with energy yet reassuringly calm, and air is filled with the sound of laughter and play, singing and the banging of drums.
Everyday the children ask us our names and what we are building. Everyday they sit and watch in wonder, keeping check on our progress and reporting back to their parents when they collect them at night.
We're pleased to say that the treehouse will soon be 'Open' for play, and we're told the special occasion is to be marked with an outdoors day, a bonfire and a BBQ for the whole centre.
We really do hope that everyone at Archway Children's Centre enjoys playing with the new treehouse as much as we have enjoyed creating it. And that all who use it will get to experience the excitement and magic of a Treehouse Life.
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