Out all night continued...

It's generally widely accepted that people feel much happier when the sun is shining down on their faces. At Kidology HQ, when the sun is shining outside, we frantically plan how we can work (and lunch) outside to make the most of the weather, and this is a trend which is also rife amongst the youth of today.

So far August has been a strange month in terms of weather offerings; we've had torrential rain, vibrant sunshine and dull, overcast shadows. How has this affected where children can play, and does the weather effect where children play? A while back we did some work in a local Primary School and asked Year 4 pupils how they felt about playing out in different weather conditions. It seems that children these days are very much aware of the threat that the sun can pose to their skin (many felt that playing outdoors in the summer months was more dangerous than in the winter). But children are also aware of the freedom that July and August bring. As part of our work, we asked the pupils to design a piece of play equipment that could be used in any weather condition, and the results were fantastic; we had giant outdoor water parks, fairground rides and climbing frames.

What does this prove? Well that children are able to engineer ways to combat the weather and not let it affect their play time. They embrace the sun, and find ways to overcome the rain. What jolly jelly beans they are.

An enterprising success

Our blog entry this week is an unashamed plug of a fellow Gateshead-based company who are doing great things for enterprise, young people, and the environment.

Set to launch in September, WhipBikes is an innovative bike-hire scheme for students and staff at Newcastle University. The team behind it – Robert Grisdale and Jack Payne – are two Engineering graduates who conceived the idea of making trips across campus that little bit quicker, and much more fun. Indeed, the bright green bikes are certainly eye-catching (having been on Whip1 twice I can vouch for their ability to capture attention) and with a fleet of 150 there's sure to be enough to go around.

The WhipBikes team demonstrate that ideas do not have to be complex to succeed; they came up with the idea whilst they were students, and over the past couple of months have won over the support of numerous competition panels and funders.

We wish them the best of luck and are hoping that when the launch is over they'll be willing to come along to some of our school-based enterprise sessions to talk about their experiences.

Out all night

Last week I went on a glorious 8 mile bike ride along the Northumberland Coast, starting at Tynemouth and venturing up to a quaint little lighthouse near Blyth. The boys at WhipBikes – who work in the office below us – needed someone to test out one of their bikes and I duly volunteered. It felt so liberating cycling up the coast and, although I was unsteady at first, having not ridden a bike for many years, the technique soon can back to me and I was on my way.

Now as the nights get lighter, and schools draw to a close, children can play out longer and make the most of the great outdoors. Indeed, we've been sat considering what games young people can play in the summer that they can't in the winter, and reminiscing about our own childhoods. As part of our ongoing work with young people, we're interested in finding out what the 'must play' game of the summer is. Do children still have water fights? Is swingball still in existence? We're keen for anyone's input into this...