Scolton Manor playday brings more than 1,000 visitors for a day of fun for all

Playday is intended to highlight the importance of play in children's lives.

After a wet start, the weather brightened up and children enjoyed jiving to live Samba music from Samba Doc, and taking part in a procession around the grounds.

They learnt circus skills, played hide and seek in the woods, cooked marshmallows over campfires, painted their parents’ faces, and much more – including creating ‘sock noodles’ and playing in an sunflower maze in the walled garden created from the planting of 10,000 sunflower seeds.

Playday was co-ordinated by Pembrokeshire County Council and supported by community organisations and groups from all over the county who offered activities - plus plenty of ideas for low-cost or free things for families to do at home or outdoors.

Organiser Damian Golden said: “I would like to thank each of the activity providers for again volunteering their time and providing a myriad of amazing activities for all of the families who came along and had fun. I’d also like to thank the six young volunteers who didn’t stop all day.

“The feedback has been fantastic with parents and children telling us what a brilliant time they had. It was a wonderful way to celebrate this year’s 30th anniversary Playday event. Here’s to another wonderful 30 years.”

Cllr David Lloyd, Cabinet Member for Education, said it was a ‘remarkable event’. “Although it was affected by the rain at the beginning of day, the enthusiasm of the volunteers overcame that, and the children obviously loved the event,” he said. “The range of activities was wonderful.”

Cllr Lloyd represented Cllr Tessa Hodgson, Cabinet Member for Social Services and Children’s Services at the event, who was unable to attend.

Damian Golden said he was grateful to local businesses Grahams, Sainsburys, Tesco, Morrisons, and Haverfordwest Plumbing for contributing resources.