Unique book celebrates the benefits of farm parks for child development
2nd March 2023
With low levels of activity in children and young people being a major health concern, two paediatric physiotherapists have teamed up with a Dorset farm park to create a new children’s book.
Paediatric physiotherapists Wendy Joy and Jane Reynolds with copies of the new book at Farmer Palmer’s.
The colourful book, called I Love Visiting My Farm Park!, shows how to integrate essential foundation movement skills through play, practice, learning and experiences – all available at the farm park – to help children prepare for school and beyond.
It is the result of a collaboration between Sandra Palmer-Snellin at Farmer Palmer’s Farm Park, and paediatric physiotherapists Wendy Joy and Jane Reynolds, who explained their work helping children gain essential motor skills.
They were able to link key motor skills practice to the various areas of the farm park, and showed how important the physical experiences at the farm are.
The book’s launch marks Farmer Palmer’s 25th birthday. Sandra, whose family owns the farm, says:
“For the past 25 years, generations of children have grown up at Farmer Palmer’s. We’ve had employees that are coming back with their children, and I thought ‘what better way than to now integrate Storycises’ skills and our 25 years with this beautiful creation as a celebration?’”
“We all know that ‘play’ is crucial full-body exercise that develops problem-solving skills. Children are like sponges, soaking up everything as they learn new things. At Farmer Palmer’s they can be curious and investigate, explore, run, climb, communicate, and develop imagination and creativity.”
Sandra Palmer-Snellin, of Farmer Palmer’s.
Jane and Wendy created the Bournemouth company Storycises after seeing increasing numbers of children referred to physiotherapy due to difficulties with fine and gross motor skills over a decade ago. The number of children being referred has increased dramatically since the pandemic.
Jane says: “If our children are to be robust and healthy young people, they need to be more physical and experience a wide range of movements from birth onward. They need time to experiment, practice and consolidate their motor skills with those adults around them scaffolding them to do this. Farmer Palmer’s provides so many opportunities to do this in a fun and exciting way.”
Wendy adds: “Now families will be able to take away a special memory of their visit to Farmer Palmer’s while helping their children to gain essential movement skill practice.
“We love the family sense to Farmer Palmer’s. Every time we met, Sandra would talk about family and the intergenerational activities, and in our work, we’re always talking about modelling. Modelling behaviour, modelling play and modelling the joy in movement, so the collaboration links in well with that.”
Copies of I Love Visiting My Favourite Farm Park! are available to buy from Farmer Palmer’s onsite shop and website store.
