Two good causes were combined last week. When the Ostend-based Playcentre group were planning activities for Playcentre Awareness Week and realised it was also Sea Week, they decided to explore the island’s beaches. 

 “Monday was a sea themed morning at the Playcentre including bubble making, sea songs, sprinkler and slip and slide and painting rocks and shells to hide later in the week,” says Suzanne Miller, president of the parent-based early childhood centre.

 “We try to do trips out anyway, and went to Palm Beach on Tuesday morning, Rocky Bay on Wednesday and Onetangi on Friday,” she says.

On those days about a dozen children and their parents explored rock pools, built sandcastles, saw eels in the stream at Rocky Bay, enjoyed the seaside playgrounds and did a beach clean up. They finished the week’s activities with a treasure hunt, the prizes being the decorated rocks and shells from Monday’s activities. •

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