Who slayed our dragon?

Sharp eyed visitors to Eureka! may have noticed something’s changed this week: our Chinese dragon, who guards the fire exit from Me and My Body has been beheaded!

Before you ask, security hasn’t detained any wandering St. Georges. Instead it’s an explanation that’s a bit less magical. He’s quite an old dragon, you see, who has been here since the museum opened. Just over 18 years of weather and wear have taken its toll and early last weekend the metal supports which held him up finally collapsed. His scales were removed and he was taken in state to a new resting place in our Loading Bay, where he is awaiting appraisal. You can see the damaged support below, 18 years of wear on the metal has made it very crumbly.

My what big teeth you have!

Until the dragon’s head returns, I thought I would share some fun facts about him.

• The dragon was designed to cover the fire escape stairs that lead down from a balcony off of Me and My Body.
• Our dragon doesn’t actually have a name; as a creature of imagination it’s only fair that we let you, the visitor, make him come alive for yourself.
• Our dragon has been the inspiration for workshops and events for as long as the museum has been open: he’s seen Chinese lion and dragon dancers and has been the face of our ‘Dragon’s Mouth’ school workshops. 
• The dragon is now something of a celebrity. Even the Dragon's Den liked the idea of him and filmed him at the end of one of their roadtests. Maybe that's what went to his head!

Dragon & friends back in 1993 for the 'Dragon's Mouth' workshop

But you know, our dragon’s disappearance may have another explanation, especially since Eureka! is such a magical place. Being August, and a rather drought-filled one at that (in spite of weather appearing to the contrary!) it’s important to keep health and safety concerns in mind, especially when dealing with animals known for their flammable nature. So, with a few cosmetic repairs required already, we thought this was the perfect time to schedule our dragon’s annual maintenance for fire breathing capacity. After all, a healthy dragon is a happy dragon, and happy dragons aren’t naughty people-crispers.

Playing with a purpose for Playday 2010

Today at Eureka! we are celebrating Playday, the national event where communities around the UK host events that champion and support children’s right to play. In the process of preparing for our events, I read the research released this week by Play England to support the 2010 Playday campaign.

Taking time out for some sandcastle building during last year's Playday!

Play England found there is a profound loss of community spirit in Britain, which in turn is leading to children no longer being able to play outside. I have to wonder what has led to this lack of togetherness, and is it really the only reason why children don’t play outdoors any more?

In 2005 I returned to the UK after four years of living and working abroad. Bringing a six-year-old and a one-year-old back to the UK I became acutely aware of the lack of children on our streets. I noticed the ever-growing perception that children are ‘in danger’ if out of the sight of a parent, and we experienced the lack of play provision in many areas.

As I have written before, the evidence to support our multiple fears is not there. There have not been increases in child abductions and murders, compared to 20 or 30 years back, but there has been an increase in media coverage.

Playday 2010’s campaign theme is ‘Our Place’. Play England’s research states almost half of adults surveyed think it’s unsafe for children to play without supervision. However when 73% of children want to play outside more where they live, isn’t it our role as adults to enable this play in our home environments rather than install fear? I believe it is up to us to take note of these facts and figures, and to support the reinvigoration of community spirit by positively reinforcing the value of play.

It’s also encouraging to learn that the new ministerial Childhood and Families Task Force, chaired by the Prime Minister, has made Playful communities one of its priority areas – this is great news and I look forward to reading their conclusions, which are expected at the end of the year.

Taking time out to play today is just one in a series of steps to change our communities for the better. For Playday, I will be around the museum getting messy, crafty and active. We’re celebrating the right of all children to play, will you?

Rebecca Johnson is Play and Learning Director for Eureka! The National Children's Museum.