I do realise that autism is a hidden disability and that unless you know, it’s easy to misunderstand kids that have it. It’s not so much that they sit on the rides, it’s more that they stand there and film it, so we do get a few confused questions occasionally and most people are totally ok with it.” Sadly though, there are some whose reaction to a 13/14 year old occasionally riding a product or simply being around them is less than polite, however such appalling interactions are few and far between. It’s not terribly often that heart-warming, human-interest stories get column inches in our industry – it’s normally about who’s making the most money, doing what and where. Which is fine for the most part, because, let’s face it, that’s what we’re here for. But every now and again, it’s nice to share a bit of insight into aspects of our business that we don’t often hear about. While the majority of people the Jones family collectively deal with are generally understanding, Northern Leisure’s attitude towards them is another level and a breath of fresh air in a business that can sometimes be ‘too busy’ for something as basic yet ineffaceable as just being a decent human.

Kiddie Rides | Kiddie Amusement Rides for Sale Coin Operated Kiddie Rides | Kiddie Amusement Rides for Sale

Accessories With the original accessories, you can be sure to find the right thing to suit your needs With go-karts for all ages available at Outside Play, kids can enjoy the thrill of racing friends on their own set of wheels while older riders can perfect their skills with sophisticated models ideal for drifts, slides and turns. As an official UK supplier of BERG go-karts, you can rest assured that the go-kart you choose offers unrivalled strength and quality. From the BERg pedal go-karts designed for infants all the way to the adult go-karts, each model has been designed for maximum enjoyment and safety. There’s a growing trend of autistic kids having a keen interest in kiddie rides. It’s all to do with the rhythmic movement of them and how the kid’s brains work and how they process it. I know half a dozen families whose autistic kids have the same obsession and we all spend hundreds if not thousands every year on running around the country in pursuit of the most sought after ones.”Autistic children seem to get fixated with amusement machines, particularly kiddie rides, he said. “I’ve been in this business for over 30 years and the knowledge that these kids possess that are here today puts me to shame. There are around 700,000 people on the autism spectrum in the UK – that's more than 1 in 100. If you include their families, autism is a part of daily life for 2.8 million people. Despite being well used to the obsession by now, Andy still sounded immensely proud of his daughter (as a parent myself, I recognise the sound of barely-disguised pride in a father’s voice!), “Amber has a YouTube channel with over 2000 followers and 400 videos just on kiddie rides alone. Some of the videos have amassed over 50,000 views and all the videos together have an incredible 2.3 million views and counting. Kiddie Rides provide an outlet for families with autistic children. Who knew? Dan Snook gets schooled at EAG.

Kiddie Rides | Leisurematic

Amber, as her father Andy explained, is classed as having high-functioning autism so had no problem at all in enthusing over one of the main objects of her fangirl-ism.Richard explained: “Towards the end of the interview they asked her what else she was up to while she was in town. Amber spoke about going to EAG, how kiddie rides are so great and important to her. She also spoke about her relationship with me and the team here at Northern Leisure, so of course we were very flattered.” Ride-on toys are designed to promote independence in your child, from the early stages where you help them balance and push the toy along to the time where they’re ready to operate it themselves. It’s a great way to develop their self-confidence and get them to use their balance and coordination skills. Our ride-on toys for kids are also great for promoting physical exercise and improving essential motor skills; they’ll also keep you on your toes as you race to catch up! So Amber Jones, 14 (nearly 15!) lives in Chester in the north-west of England, quite some distance from the capital and its coin-op trade show, but it just so happened that the young kiddie ride fan found herself giving an interview for BBC Radio London. If you’re ready to experience the exhilarating fun of go-karting, why not explore the full range of pedal go-karts at Outside Play today. For more must-have outdoor toys, don’t forget to take a look at our selection of quad bikes and ride-on toys. That the likes of Richard and his team at Northern Leisure are gracious enough to accommodate Amber’s requests for information is something that Dad Andy is immensely grateful for.

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While it’s mainly Richard that we deal with there, we of course have had interaction with most of the staff there and to a person, they’re all so lovely.” This wiki is about coin-operated kiddie rides, so add stuff that relates to the topic on this wiki. From buying rides for private use, to effectively marketing the products - what Amber does raises awareness to what autistic families bring to the industry and those few that don’t understand, or are actively critical of the attention that fans like her give, might just change their mind if they realised the positive impact and exposure she and others provide."

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Let me explain. At January’s EAG International show at ExCel London I happened to be chatting to Richard Pike, the technical manager at UK kiddie ride manufacturer, Northern Leisure. While on his stand, he told me he had someone who he’d like me to meet. “She’s called Amber and she’s a huge kiddie ride fan who travels the country taking videos of them and sharing them on YouTube,” he explained. “She’s 14, autistic and fantastic. I just thought it might be an interesting story to share.” We like to think we know a thing or two about kid’s ride-on toys, which is why we offer one of the best collections of quality toys for all ages! Ride-on toys offer a whole host of benefits for your little ones, as well as being a fun and exciting toy to enjoy as they take advantage of the great outdoors. The term ride-on toy covers a wide range of different models, from kid’s electric cars and jeeps to balance bikes to kids motorcycles, emergency service vehicles and more. Each model has been designed to offer the ultimate playtime experience for your child while giving parents and guardians peace of mind that they’re in safe hands.

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ME Group (Photo-Me PLC) Amuse.Me (formerly founded as Jolly Roger), is a British coin-operated ride manufacturer and the world’s leading manufacturer of licensed and premium coin operated kiddie rides. The company was founded in 1988 by Roger Newborough (1946-2014). In 2001, Jolly Roger was acquired by Photo-Me PLC.On that note then, lets talk about kiddie rides, cranes and autism. I bet that wasn’t a sentence you thought you’d read today. Turns out though that the three have a closer relationship than you would imagine. All of the ride-on toys available at Outside Play have been rigorously tested and come with a wide range of safety features to ensure you and your little ones have a fun, safe time. For more great outdoor toys, why not take a look at our range of kids quad bikes? See what I mean about their knowledge?” grinned Richard, “Amber and other kids often ring us up asking where a particular ride can be found and they’ll travel hundreds of miles just to see it. Their dedication is impressive.” It wasn’t long before I also got involved and shortly after we were invited to a tour of Northern’s factory, which they didn’t have to do, especially as there are health and safety requirements to be taken into account. They were really open to autism. The level of understanding and compassion the we get from Richard and the team at Northern is above and beyond – it helps us as a family immensely and I just think it should be recognised,” said Andy.