This February half term, children of all ages are being encouraged to grab their wellies, get outside and join in with the North East’s Puddle Jumping Championships being held at WWT Washington Wetland Centre.
This year WWT’s new children’s character, Dusty Duck is also joining in the fun and will be around to meet visitors and pose for photographs. Dusty was exclusively designed by the world-famous Aardman studios to help celebrate WWT’s 70th anniversary by getting children closer to nature.
Children will compete against each other to see who can produce the biggest splash from their puddle jump. There are 3 categories to think about including enthusiasm and creativity, marked by our WWT judges. Daily winners will be announced after the competition and those lucky ‘super-splashers’ will receive a great prize from Dusty Duck himself!
Every contestant will receive a ‘splashtastic’ sticker to acknowledge their puddle jumping skills.
There will also be practice zones set up around the stunning grounds to help entrants perfect their splashing techniques, as well as fun family crafts to keep the whole family entertained.
Gill Pipes Centre Manager at WWT Washington said “We know that children love nothing more than to splash about in puddles, so it’s a great opportunity for them to get closer to nature doing something they enjoy.
We know that children who love puddles often grow up to be adults that love the outdoors. Through these championships we’re gently building an interest that may help protect wetlands and the wildlife that depend on them for years to come.”