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THE HALTON HILLS HOMESTYLE Wednesday June 1991 Page Creating a childrens playground Before my wife Em left to help out our niece Maxinc whos just had twins she cracked a joke about how she hoped we meaning me and our twins Belinda and Kyle wouldnt set the kitchen on fire when we cooked Well Em knows that the three of us arc pretty fair cooks Wc all have our specialties of course and mine happens to be macaroni and cheese So I volunteered to do dinner tonight and morning Be linda made up a menu for me I was pretty nattered at her confi dence in me until I read it The first course was Soup maca roni and cheese followed by the main dish and rounded off by macaroni and ice cream Oh ha ha ha I said to her and she dared me to make something besides macaroni and cheese Well I was up for the challenge The problem was despite my best efforts what I had made looked an awful like macaroni and cheese for some reason When called them Belinda and Kyle came into the kitchen wearing goggles and wielding our kitchen fire extinguisher as a joke This is macaroni and cheese they shrieked in unison when they saw it No no I said This is different Why is il different they demanded This has bread crumbs on top 1 explained But when I saw that fire extin guisher I realized with a start that I hadnt checked it in months Fortunately it was still charged The Hydro says each spring and fall you should check the pressure indicator to make sure the extinguisher is charged Also make sure the hose isnt clogged Dont lest it by using it thatll lower your pressure and when you really need it it might not work effectively If you think its been tampered with or damaged have it checked by a specialist And so wc sat down to dinner and you know what Those bread crumbs made all the dif ference in the world At least I thought so but Kyle didnt After a few cheap shots about glue lasting better he said he would gladly look after dinner for the next few nights What do you know my plan worked I may not be much of a cook but doing the dishes after wards has always been my strong point This newspaper in conjunc tion with Ontario Hydro is bringing yu Phils Baserrient to help bring home ideas on how to save energy To receive the booklet Efficiency Plus call Ontario Hydro at 1-800- and tell them Phil sent you This article Is provided by local Realtors and the Ontario Real Estate Association ORE A for the benefit of consumers In the real estate market If you have youngsters under foot are you worried about keep ing them entertained this sum mer Have they become disen chanted with your backyard and prefer to spend time playing at friends houses or the neighborhood playground If so you may want to consider creating a special play area just for them right in your own backyard Children are naturally inquisitive and imaginative with the right tools encouragement and adequate supervision they can entertain themselves for hours and learn a great deal in the process Whether you decide on a more traditional play area consisting of a slide swings and sandbox or something slightly more- im aginative like a playhouse or activity centre with the proper planning you can end up with something that will endure for many years to come Before you start planning its essential to take your childs age and needs into consideration Youll also have to decide whether you want to build the en tire play area yourself or pur chase readytoassemble equip ment This will be determined by your budget time limitations and how handy you are Youll also have to decide whether you want to create an ac tivity centre that will grow with your children If so a lot of careful forethought is required Youll also want to make sure that the play area enables them to get exercise and be creative A play centre which fails to challenge them will only result in boredom and disuse Youll also have to decide bet ween equipment thats movable or fixed in one location If its portable you can store it indoors during the winter if you move you can easily take it with you Remember that any equipment whether homemade or store- bought should be sturdy and safe Wooden structures in par ticular should be designed and finished with great care so that little ones cant injure themselves on sharp corners or rough uneven surfaces You should also consider whether youll want to add on to the unit at a future date its im portant to remember that childrens needs and interests fluctuate in accordance with their growth Remember too that building projects must comply with local building codes If your project if a big one you should check with your municipal office before pro ceeding you may need a building permit If you have a limited budget for your project you may want to use your imagination and recycle some old household materials old boxes or cupboard doors for instance However be absolute ly certain that these items are free of any dangers protruding nails rusty hinges and so on before letting your children use them The ground covering around and underneath the play equip ment is another important factor to consider Youll want to have something that will cushion any falls Grass sand and wood chips are all possible choices The surface you choose will de pend greatly on the height of the structure you intend to erect it shouldnt be too high and how it will be used will there be a lot of jumping or climbing activites You should also use something thats easy to keep clean Sand for instance can attract insects and neighborhood pets If youre using sand in a sandbox its ad visable to devise some type of cover for the box which can be set in place after playtime is finish ed To spark your childs curiousi- and you should try to incorporate items of in terest Slides ladders climbing bars and a sandbox are all possi ble options To get ideas visit your local playground and take a good look at the equipment on hand Con sult with friends and neighbors to see what types of play areas theyve provided for their children You may also want to consult some books on child development to determine what your childs needs will be in terms of exercise and stimula tion Put More Muscle in your advertising CALL US TODAY 8772201 Survey Completed June 691 MORTGAGE RATES ANNUAL INTEREST Bites to Cloud SIX MONTH ONE YEAR TWO YEAR THREE YEAR FOUR YEAR FIVE YEAR TRUST COMPANIES Canada Trust NA 1000 10 1100 1125 1125 Municipal Trust 10 10 10 1100 Trust 10 10 10 1100 1125 1125 CHARTERED BANKS Bank of Commerce 10 10 1100 1125 Bank of Montreal 10 70 1100 1125 1125 Bank of Nova Scotia 10 10 00 10 1100 1125 1125 Royal Bank 10 10 10 1100 11125 Toronto Dominion 10 10 10 75 1100 1125 1125 This survey is prepared help the Herald readers track weekly Bank and Trust Company mortgage rates iCmr 4168734937 TORONTO LINE 2 MILL STREET acton HEATHER WHITING SCOTLAND Associate Broker 8532086 STATELY OLDER RESIDENCE 399000 Set back from road on private well groomed lawns with mature trees is this spacious triple brick home which features 5 bedrooms and 3 bath rooms 2 family rooms plus a den 3 enclosed porches and enough garage space for 7 cars This fine home would suit a large or extended family as well as an inhome occupation To arrange for your personal tour please call Heather Whiting Scotland 8532086