Doncaster dad creates colourful and educational garden to keep children entertained during lockdown

With all schools closed due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Thomas Bellingham from Tickhill was keen to ensure his children, 10-year-old Maycie and Esme, 4, kept up with their learning while at home.

So, the 34-year-old gathered unused wooden pallets and leftover paint and began to build an adventure playground in his garden, ensuring they could stay active and gain vital skills at the same time.

The family have nicknamed their garden ‘lockdown town’ and have been making the most of being outdoors during the recent spell of warm weather.

“They’ve got a cafe to learn how to use money and they’ve got hopscotch on the floor so, especially Esme, can learn numbers,” Thomas said. “I’m just finishing building them a monkey gym with tyres and they’ve got sand pits.

“I originally started part of it before the coronavirus but the rest I decided to do for the purpose of the children being off school, to keep them occupied.”

Thomas, who has ADHD, is constantly thinking of new pieces, with input from his two daughters, which can be added to the garden.

His wife Andrea, 42, added: “Instead of doing the homeschooling inside we’re just trying to do it outside. He’s just used odds and ends that we’ve got and its like a little village.

“Thomas is keeping busy at the same time as helping the kids learn. He’s getting them involved, they’ve been painting and have been getting creative making things themselves rather than just sitting with textbooks.

“We’re not stuck indoors and we’re not going out shopping either, we're being resourceful and Thomas has used things he’s found in the garden just to keep his mind going and to keep the kids’ minds going and we’ve not been bored.

“Things are mismatched but it’s a really nice area for the children. It's stimulating everybody and the days have flown by.”

The family have received lots of positive feedback on the garden after posting pictures on Facebook and hope it will inspire others to be resourceful with items they have lying around at home.

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