Here’s one to get fans of Bob the Builder excited. Diggersite allows children to step into the steel-toed boots of construction workers by letting them operate kid-sized construction machinery like excavators and cranes. To complete the experience, the entire compound is littered with bright yellow signs on which the mandatory ‘caution’ warning is printed, and safety helmets are provided for all children.
While seated in an excavator complete with hydraulic ‘arms’, children – and, if they’re so inclined, adults – attempt to pick up colourful plastic balls, bottles, logs and bricks and move them around an enclosed sandpit. Developing fine motor skills is the goal here, although we’re guessing ‘having fun’ is more like it. The excavators operate on a token system: a 5-minute ride costs $7, and children below the age of six must be supervised by an adult.