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Children’s bookshop creating giant snakes and ladders to ‘make social distancing fun’
Leanne and Dan Fridd are creating a giant snakes and ladders on the floor of their shop Bookbugs and Dragon Tales in Norwich to make social distancing fun when they reopen Picture: Sonya Duncan - Credit: Sonya Duncan
The owners of Bookbugs and Dragon Tales in Norwich are aiming to make social distancing less scary for children with a giant snakes and ladder game on the floor when they reopen.
Bookbugs and Dragon Tales in Timber Hill in Norwich, which has been freshly painted with new signage during lockdown Picture: Dan Fridd - Credit: Archant
Couple Leanne and Dan Fridd opened the independent bookshop in Timber Hill in August last year which sells mainly children’s books, alongside a few adult titles, and they run workshops too.
But their plans for 2020 certainly didn’t involve a global pandemic and they were left needing to adapt after temporarily closing the shop in March.
The pair have been overwhelmed by the support from customers and have been delivering home-schooling packs and escape packs for adults with books and wellbeing treats.
But with sales down to 20pc of what they normally are and with the easing of lockdown restrictions, they are gearing up to reopen on Tuesday, June 16.
During lockdown, Bookbugs and Dragon Tales has been running as a delivery service with home-schooling packs for children and escape packs for adults with books and wellbeing treats Picture: Sonya Duncan - Credit: Sonya Duncan
They will be open from 10am to 2.30pm Tuesday to Saturday and later in the afternoon households will also be able to book slots to have the shop to themselves.
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To make children feel at ease, they are planning to create a giant snakes and ladders game on the floor with two-metre squares made of foam.
Staff will also be wearing colourful face shields, which will be decorated with sharpies, so they are less scary for children.
The snakes and ladder game will use their shop characters the bookbug and dragon Picture: Sonya Duncan - Credit: Sonya Duncan
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Mrs Fridd said: “We want to make social distancing fun and the snakes and ladders will use our shop characters the bookbug and dragon.
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“We will also have small gloves for little people so they can touch the books and browse and then take them off when they leave.”
Mrs Fridd also has big plans for Independent Bookshop Week, which runs from June 20 to 27, and is looking to do giveaways and virtual events with authors and illustrators.
She also is in talks with other independents in Timber Hill to hold a street fair once lockdown is lifted.
Mrs Fridd added: “We are like family and are all trying to think of ways to bring the life back into the city and want to have a celebration.”
