Molly the Playbus

Jay-Jay the Supersonic Bus headed to Canterbury to visit Molly the Playbus at Bright Horizons Nursery.

I’d heard about this bus from Simon Leonard, one of the book bloggers who frequently joins the blog tours. He reads the books with his girls, who love them and writes a review. When he told me there was a Playbus at his wife’s Nursery, I just had to visit to find out more.

It wasn’t an official author visit as I just wanted to see the Playbus and meet the users. I was greeted and signed in at the office from there I was taken and shown the Bus and told a bit more about its history.

The bus was previously owned by the actor Tom Hardy who used it on film sets as a creche for the children of the actors and staff.

The Playbus: -. The bus itself is a static vehicle that has a site location specifically designed for the bus to stand permanently until it moves off to support another user. Here it is currently being used while renovations are being made to the Nursery itself.

The children catered for at the Nursery are all preschool ages, but the children using the Playbus area itself are three plus, and they love it – of course, they do.

I was shown around and introduced to the bus. The areas in the bus are generally used according to staffing and play activities on offer. Today the upper deck is not currently in use. But when it is open the children certainly love to go upstairs and play – sounds familiar.

Bus Awning : -The bus's exterior has a gazebo awning that closes or opens depending on the weather.

The floor in the Gazebo has fake grass flooring and areas of play set up inside. The grass carpet runs up to the bus so there is no big step to climb in.

Children were reading books; building with blocks; playing with cars; and playing with the kitchen area.

Downstairs : - The lower floor space on the bus had a painting easel; a cozy space to sit and read as well as two porta cubicles for the young users. Heading up the steep stairs seemed very steep but like our bus the two heights of handrails help. No one ever fell down on our stairs; children know they are steep and they know they have to be careful.

Upstairs : - Upstairs was an area where more activities were set up including playdough and sand. There were also four cot sleeping areas but these would probably make cozy dens for the three-year-olds. A back play area has fire exit steps, (not a slide like Jay-Jay). There is a staff/adult kitchen area at the front of the bus (not closed off like Glorias)

Garden Play : - A garden play around the bus offered a lot of scope for play.

Bewbush Playbus : - I spoke about my Playbus experiences and my writing. I was invited to sit and read with the children.

Reading to the Children : - The children were invited to come along and listen. There were a few staff and children elsewhere. With the enthusiastic children who joined in we sang a few songs and looked at the photographs of the real Playbus. I ended up reading part of the first storybook, ‘Jay-Jay the Supersonic Bus’, a copy of which was signed and gifted to the Playbus.

I also left a copy of the photographic history book of the Bewbush Playbus for my blogger friend. He’s heard about the bus so might be interested to know the factual connections.

Molly's song Book : - Bright Horizon’s gave me a copy of their Molly Bus book.

I would have loved to stay longer but this wasn’t an official author visit and my husband, and driver was waiting outside.

It was certainly lovely to find out about the bus and to see it in action.