We ignored the grey clouds
British summertime can be unpredictable so whenever the weather is good I (like most people in the country) prefer to be doing something outdoors. So today today we ignored the grey clouds and went to the local park. I suggested driving to one of the bigger parks in East London, I love Victoria Park and Greenwich Park. However my mini me 1 and 2 had other ideas. They wanted to go to Bob's Park (yes it's really called that!) which I thought might be a bit boring but they insisted and it was within walking distance.
Bob's Park
When we got to the park the kids were even more thrilled that the playground had been revamped and there was new play equipment. Because we went mid morning it was quiet and they had the equipment to themselves. People from the local community centre (Bromley by Bow Centre) were setting up for the Unity Festival - http://www.bbbc.org.uk/events/387/the-bromley-by-bow-centre-unity-festival which was going to be held in the afternoon. I had no idea about it until we got to the park.
Secret Garden
One of the nice things about this park is the "secret garden" as we like to call it. It's a really pretty space with nice flowers and a vegetable and herb patch. It's perfect for the kids to use their imagination and go into another world. No one ever seems to set foot in it apart from us!
Unity Festival
We came back to the park in the late afternoon on the way back from mini me 2's swimming lesson. We thought we'd check out the Unity Festival. Even though the weather had been a bit rubbish there were quite a few people there and there was a nice vibe. This area of London has people from so many different cultures living side by side and this festival celebrated that. There was the usual kids entertainment of a bouncy castle and face painting. Then there was a band playing pop songs calypso style. There was free food - Jaimaican, Indian and traditional English. We sampled some jerk chicken, rice and peas and callaloo. It was pretty good and all three of the kids loved it. I literally got a mouthful of chicken because they ate it so fast!
The kids are much calmer
I always notice that after playing outside for an hour or so, all the kids are much calmer once we get home. One of the nice things about London is that there are so many nice parks. My sister in law is actually planning to go on a "park-crawl" with her kids which I think is a great idea. Even smaller parks like Bob's Park shouldn't be overlooked because really all kids need is a swing, a slide, some green space to run around in and their imaginations.
MummyImperfect X