THE little people of Little Lever now have their very own Shire in which to create their own magic and adventure.

And visitors to Jelly Babies Day Nursery should not be surprised if they are invited in to have a nice cup of tea in a home resembling that of Bilbo Baggins, the hero of JRR Tolkein’s fantasy books.

For, what seems to be the borough’s first Hobbit Hole has appeared in the playground.

The nursery enlisted the help of Bolton company, Cool Canvas to transform their grounds into fun, magical learning area based on the staff, parents and children’s ideas.

As well as the cosy Hobbit Hole, the new area has a mud kitchen, a builder’s yard, a story corner and a water theme and much more.

Owner Maxine Phillips said: “Outdoor learning is the way forward and this was developed so children can enjoy many outdoor experiences to develop their skills.

“It helps with their problem solving skills as they work out how to get the water and carry it back to the mud kitchen.

“The children have been watching the area develop and are very excited about it, it is an investment in their learning — it is far better than I ever imagined.”

The developers will be back to help the children and staff with planting.

Landscape artist and designer Oliver Wotherspoon, owner of Cool Canvas said he wanted to created playgrounds where children created their own adventures.

He continues to help children carry on developing their play area by either holding special workshops at his premises in Shepherd Cross Street, Halliwell, where they can build things relating to their outdoor space by working alongside skilled trades people such as joiners and artists or revisiting the educational establishments.

He said: “This is one of the biggest projects and every project I do is exciting and different and includes children, parents and staff’s ideas.

“The idea of the Hobbit Hole and the Shire was to create an idyllic place for the children.

“I could see children watching as they watched the Hobbit Hole develop. They can now take it any direction they want, it is not static.

“They can use their own ideas to add to it. It is a natural play area designed to develop children’s learning and skills.”