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Charitable Community Business
The Fyne Den
Cairndow
Argyll PA268BL
PLAY
Our indoor
Adventure Zone
has been designed to offer adventurous natural play opportunities that provide a direct connection to nature.
Wooden structures grow out of an exciting sand pool giving unlimited chances to be creative.
Developing a more flexible and imaginative space for new ideas and interaction on each visit, the
Adventure Zone
is a place our visitors are reluctant to leave and eager to return to time and again !
Suitable for all ages,
although our most frequent visitors are 0-12 yrs, we have made sure teens and adults are able to access the equipment, encouraging families to play together and share in the adventures.
With the addition of seating, a hot drinks machine and snacks to buy, free wi-fi and the warmest welcome, we hope to offer the whole family a place to relax, enjoy, share and play together.
PLAY
Our Outdoor
Adventure Garden
Is a new addition this year, (created during lockdown and still evolving) and along with our fabulous mural around the Adventure Zone, was created by local artist and landscape designer
Fin Barge @finlandscape.co.uk
with the idea to continue the adventure outside, "by being close to nature allows children to follow their own creative path that develops play organically".
If weather is wet, don't
forget your wellies!
Risky Play
“Helping young people to experience risk and learn how to handle it is part of preparing them for adult life and the world of work.” Judith Hackitt, Health and Safety Executive Chair
Our Adventure Zone offers the opportunity of risky play, in an environment where the health, safety and standards are continuously managed and assessed to the highest levels. This does not mean that at some point during play, a potential hazard to your child or others might not be identified. This is why we operate the policy
'Active Adult Supervision' by the accompanying parent or carer.
As an example, if playing outdoors in a woodland, would you decide to leave your child to climb a large tree entirely un-supervised, give them encouragement and hover at the bottom, or hold them in front as you climbed with them? It's likely to be a decision based on many things like, how high the tree looked, the age of your child, whether it's a new adventure, and your knowledge of your child's abilities and attitude. This risk assessment by parents and carers is often carried out in seconds, assessing different situations many times over in a day. It is essential to children's development that they learn to risk assess and can do this effectively through play. Sometimes it can be a difficult juggle for parents and carers to allow them to do that while at the same time supervising their welfare.
At The Fyne Den, we are continuously in discussion with parents and carers as to what 'acceptable hazards' are, and we encourage anyone supervising a child to remove them from the situation or remove the hazard if necessary. Please feel free to have a conversation with the team about your ideas on this matter, we would be delighted to hear them.
Damaged or faulty equipment should be reported to a Fyne Den team member immediately.
The riskier play available at the Adventure Zone is suitable for all ages and as such supervision should reflect this.
Please see our Play Policy
on best ways to use the space and lots of hints and tips on the benefits of Risky Play
Touchwood
In partnering with Bristol specialist wooden play equipment company Touchwood, we discovered a group of people as passionate about play as we are.
Together we have designed an exciting, innovative and unique play space at the head of Glen Fyne that compliments our stunning natural surroundings and offers a play experience with all sorts of variations that children can engage with for far longer than often expected.
Please see the independent safety inspection report for the
Adventure Zone
Key benefits of role play in Early Years.
Develops communication and language skills.
Allows children to act out and make sense of real-life situations.
Allows children to explore, investigate and experiment.
Develops social skills and collaborate with others.
Encourages children to empathizes and learn other perspectives.
Helps children learn about different cultures.
Encourages children to express their ideas and feelings in a relaxed environment.
Develops children’s awareness of themselves and others.
Gets children learning more as learning is disguised as play.
Sparks creativity and imagination.
Open Saturday & Sunday Only !!
for up to 6 or 7 years old (as we know all children love different stuff at different ages!)
Fyne Village role play is available during your Adventure Zone sessions, and can be accessed by purchasing the ticket from reception.
It is not bookable online.
A fun and absorbing role play village to give under 7's a fantastic opportunity for pretend play.
As children play, they develop fundamental cognitive, social, emotional, and physical skills. Young children also learn practical life skills such as dressing themselves, how to cooperate, and share with others.
Playing is a child’s way of engaging, and pretending creates alternate realities to the real world. Fyne Village is where your little ones can immerse themselves in imaginative play. Role play is more than just fun. It is an important element of learning. Children learn from experience: from what happens around them, from what they see, hear, smell, taste and touch. To absorb those experiences and make sense of the world, they need to be engaged in imaginary play. Encouraging our children to play and have fun will develop healthy connections and choices in life.
Fyne Village
role play
Facilities
We are now entirely Contactless
for all payments at The Den !!
Refreshments...
Coffee, Tea,
Hot Chocolate,
Juice, Biscuits
& Snack Bars
are all available to purchase in the
Adventure Zone
There are excellent local
Cafes, Restaurants Hotels and Tap rooms
a few minutes walk or drive away from
The Fyne Den
See
'What's Nearby'
for details!
We plan to have picnic benches and shelters as part of our outdoor area development coming soon!
Until such time, there is limited facility for picnics but please feel free to consume snacks and feed babies.
No Glass Please!!
Please follow Play Policy and not eat or drink near sand or play equipment.
Baby Friendly...
Baby changing facilities in family Toilet
Under 1's Free Entry
Please feel welcome and comfortable to breastfeed your baby.
Hot water to warm baby food & milk
High-chair available
Places to leave prams and coat hooks and cubby holes to store outdoor wear and bags
Anything else we can do to help you have a fun visit with baby
Please just ask a member of our team!
Accessibility...
We have an accessible car park at the rear of The Den,
open to the public seven days a week, and we have disabled parking bays close to the front of the building.
There is a flat curb pavement from both car parks and ramp up to the building as an alternative to steps. Doorways are wide for wheelchair and pram access.
There is disabled toilet facilities.
We do understand that the Adventure Zone does not meet everybody's needs, and we are actively working to improve this in future developments.
Please ask a team member if there is anything we can do to make your visit more engaging and enjoyable!
Sensory...
We have a visual story to support anyone who may find this helpful
available from reception.
We are in the process of putting in place other facilities that may help with sensory issues like a cosy teepee and ear defenders and will be delighted once these are in place.
The Fyne Den strive to offer support for any child or adult to better use our facilities and would welcome feedback and suggestions that may assist in this.
Please ask a team member if there is anything we can do to make your visit with us more enjoyable for the whole family.
Faqs....
Dogs are not allowed in The Den unless they are a Guide or Service Dog.
Please do not leave un-accompanied dogs in your car for long periods or in extreme temperatures.
All Car-Parking is free at The Den.
There is a spill over car-park at the end of the road up-to The Den, a two minute walk away.
Photographs are allowed to be taken, but please only take them of your own group and respect other peoples privacy.
If you would like to share your photos with us on our social media pages that would be great!
please use the hashtag @thefyneden
If you would like to leave us feedback, please tell a member of our team, or click here.
If you have enjoyed your visit it would be amazingly helpful to spread the word on social media and online at the following links:-