There’s a movement that’s dishing up plenty of fun for kids during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Spoonville – a craze involving creating colourful spoon characters and planting them in villages – has well and truly arrived in Melbourne’s outer southeast, days after the reintroduction of Stage 3 restrictions.
Children decorate wooden spoons and start their own spoon village or add them to an existing one in a location people can see on their daily walks.
The colourful movement has started to cause a stir in Pakenham. Already, there are Spoonville communities at the Cardinia Cultural Centre and pier at Lakeside.
There are also Spoonville communities at Longwarry, Drouin and Garfield.
As the Spoonville movement spreads, more spoon communities are rumoured to be coming to Beaconsfield and Nar Nar Goon.
Spoonville started in Winnersh, England as a way of improving children’s mental health during COVID-19 lockdowns.
Like the bear hunt and rainbow movements, it aims to put smiles on the faces of children during the health pandemic.
Spoonville came to Australia after Longwarry mum of three Junelle Wilson, formerly of Scotland, decided to start her own Spoonville. She thought it was a good idea after seeing her friend, Helen, start a Scottish Spoonville on the Isle of Mull.
The Longwarry site started in the first round of Stage 3 restrictions and has about 70 spoons.
Junelle says there’s been some very creative spoons. There have been princess spoons, spoonycorns (unicorn spoons), animal spoons and superhero spoons.
“A lot of people have also done puns – like Reese Witherspoon,” Junelle said.
She said her sons Jude, 12, Van 10, and Nyah,6, loved creating their spoony people and watching others get invovled.
She said it was great to see the movement gathering momentum in Melbourne during the latest lockdown.
“It didn’t spread as far (in March) but it’s nice it has this time,” she said.
“Everyone says it brightens their day walking past it.”
If you start your own Spoonville, be sure to tag Spoonville International on Facebook so it can be added to the list.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND A SPOONVILLE
- Longwarry (Bennett Street)
- Pakenham (outside the Cardinia Cultural Centre entrance and near the pier)
- Garfield (Archer Road, between Kirkstall Close and Campbell Street)
- Drouin (outside the CWA clubrooms on Sinclair Street)
