OUTDOOR loving schoolchildren have crowned Noak Bridge Park as their favourite play area as part of a national campaign to find primary pupil’s most loved parks.

The survey, carried out by Staedtler Teachers’ Club UK, a free platform for primary school teachers offering curriculumlinked teaching resources, quizzed pupils on their favourite local parks, what they loved most about them and why they thought it should be protected.

Grace Rose Denning, five, who goes to Noak Bridge Primary School, was one of Basildon’s entrants.

She chose Noak Bridge Park, near Billericay, as her favourite and said she understood how important it is it to protect the borough's green spaces. She said: “We should look after our parks so that children and animals will always have somewhere to play.”

Earlier this year, the play area was given a boost after cash was spent on improving the equipment there, including £18,500 on a Sutcliffe special boat climber.

More than 2,000 five to 11-yearolds took part in the survey, which was included as part of World Kids Colouring Day 2013. As well as choosing their all-time favourite parks, pupils were asked to colour in a Protect Our Parks themed cartoon, while children in Years 3 to 6 also had to draw in a feature that could be found in their local park.

The winners will each get an art and animation workshop for them and their classmates with top caricaturist Picasso.