11:42am Thursday 5th August 2010
By Michael Pickard
Cheers and screams filled a children's centre in Leavesden as toddlers and infants celebrated National Play Day.
Parents visiting Leavesden Children's Centre on Wednesday watched on as a magician left his young audience in fits of giggles while others dived into a ball pit or leaped into the air on a bouncy castle.
Stalls were also set up in the playground alongside a barbecue, while visitors included MP Richard Harrington, Mayor Dorothy Thornhill, Watford Borough Council chairman Alan Burtenshaw and his wife Ellie, and Councillors Karen Collett and Ian Brown.
The play day was part of a nationwide event to visit their local Sure Start centres and show parents the importance of play in childhood development.
Jennifer McStravick, centre manager, said: “People just think we provide childcare but that's a tiny bit of what we do. Most of the stuff us just helping family life.”
The centre, in High Road, works with 800 children from the surrounding area. The building, which opened in October 2007, has a toy library, sensory room and multi-purpose area.
“The idea is you drop in when you need us,” Jennifer said. “We're not Supernanny but what we do is let parents realise they have got all the skills they need and help them along the way.”
For more information, visit www.hertschildrenscentres.org.uk/leavesden.
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