What child doesn’t love the idea of building their own den? For one week this summer that’s exactly what kids in North Glasgow had the chance to do.

At the City of Play programme in Milton, local youngsters enjoyed the chance to build their own outdoor den creations, as they shared time with their families and connected with kids from different backgrounds.

With its theme of Tinker Town, the project, supported by the city council’s Glasgow Children’s Food Programme, was a great success as North Glasgow Community Food Initiative also provided nutritious, healthy food to keep the children fuelled for play.

Based at the Milton Food Hub base at St Andrew’s Church, Susan Miller, Food Hub Co-ordinator and registered dietitian, says: “We are delighted to see so many benefits, play for the whole family, increased social interaction, with children mixing from a variety of different communities and backgrounds.”

“We have been so pleased to be able to support families on tight budgets to have such joyous outdoor activity and enjoy a tasty health meal too.”

City of Play director and design lead, Grant Menzies, shares at little more about the benefits children who interact the den making receive. 

Grant says: "The project is about giving children the freedom and confidence to use real tools to design, create and play in their own way... allowing them a space within the community to adapt and adopt for themselves, even if only for a short period of time."

And the feedback from the youngsters who took part in building the dens was unanimous in giving their thumbs up, as Grant adds: "We have had so many kids telling us that it is 'the best thing ever,' 'the best day ever' and even 'the best place I have ever been to in my life!' 

"Meanwhile parents are telling us that the kids woke up in the morning and straight away said, 'we want to go to Tinkertown...is it still there?!" 

Overall its has been extremely rewarding, it and a great way to bring people together...think the community has really loved it."