This Is The Place Where We Live by Ruth Kenward - 5 to 7 yrs - KS1  (1m 34s)

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Theme  -  Building a better world
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Story  -  by Ruth Kenward  (approx 6 mins)

Extract:
Freddie loved playing in the adventure playground, which was in the park at the end of his road... Mums and dads would sit on the benches and chat with each other, while Freddie and his friends would swing on the rope swings, race along the walkways, clamber up the climbing frames, jump off the platforms and wriggle through the tunnels. 

It was great to have an adventure playground so close to home, but it was growing old and tatty. Some of the equipment was a bit wonky, it all needed a good coat of paint, and there was often litter lying about. The playground belonged to the council, but sadly they didn't have enough money to look after it properly. The whole neighbourhood was a bit of a mess, and money was needed for lots of other important things.

'Money doesn't grow on trees,' said Freddie's dad. 'If it did, I'd pick lots of money off those trees and take you and Mum to live in a palace! But this is the place where we live, and we're stuck with it.' 

One day, when they were at the adventure playground, Freddie jumped off a high platform onto the ground below and landed awkwardly. He fell forward and had to stop himself with his hands. 'Ouch!' he gasped. 'That hurts!' Looking down, he realized that he'd landed on a smashed bottle. One of his hands was bleeding from a deep cut, and Dad had to take him to the hospital to have stitches. 

Another time when they went to the park, there was graffiti all over the tunnels, and part of the climbing frame was broken. Somebody had even tipped a load of rubbish right next to the gate. 'That's the last straw!' said Dad. 'I'm going to ring the council to complain.'...  

As soon as they got home, Dad was on the phone. ‘The playground isn’t safe anymore!’ he said. But when he finished the call he looked even more cross than he was before!
‘I don’t believe it!’ he said. ‘They’re going to close the adventure playground!’

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Song  -  by Ruth Kenward  

A simple song to encourage young children to take care of their environment. Lyrical, easy to learn and useful alongside environmental projects. (Sample on the audio player above.)

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Reflection Points  -  samples

1.  By the end of the story the whole neighbourhood was involved mending the playground.  Who got it all started? 

2.  Before the playground was mended some people were doing graffiti on the tunnels and dumping litter. Why do you think they did that?  

3.  The whole of planet Earth is our neighbourhood! What can we do to take care of it?

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This assembly is from 'Assemblies Alive KS1'. There is a parallel assembly for KS2 'Come With Me' with the same theme in 'Assemblies Alive KS2'.