It’s still the simple things in life — some bubble wrap, cardboard boxes and pipe cleaners — that kept thousands of kids enthralled at the Central Alberta Children’s Festival this weekend.
Despite all the electronic gadgets marketed to little kids, parents found youngsters were perfectly happy just painting a box, twirling a hula hoop or digging in a sandbox.
It doesn’t take much, said chuckling Jill Lovegren, of Red Deer, who spent a half hour watching her grandson, Joshua Lopez from Calgary, complete the same obstacle course again and again at the festival that took place Friday and Saturday at Recreation Park in Red Deer.
“I think this is great. It offers just regular activities and kids are having fun doing them,” said Lovegren.
Ava Hodgkinson, 7, of Red Deer, discovered the myriad of things that can be made from pipe cleaners — including hot-pink “glasses,” a spiffy crown, caterpillar, butterfly, bracelet and bow and arrow.
“She’s very creative,” concluded her grandma Debbie Hodgkinson, who attended the seventh-annual festival for the first time and was impressed.
“There are lots of things for them to do.”
Besides children’s singers The Kerplunks, Lee and Sandy Paley, Hoja, and Peter and Mary, there were roving balloon animal makers, magicians and puppeteers.
Kids painted cardboard boxes and then built forts with them.
They ate snacks (which were free with admission of $6 a person or $20 a family), jumped on bubble wrap, went through a maze, and down an inflatable slide.
They got their faces painted, created crafts, threw footballs through suspended tires and played disc golf.
Chelsey and Aaron Hudkin’s 1-1/2-year-old son enjoyed making sand castles with pails in a sandbox created by Bettenson’s Sand and Gravel.
While a lot of playgrounds no longer have sandboxes because of the potential “hazard” of buried pet feces, Chelsey liked that her son had the opportunity to experience something she could do as a child.
“It’s such simple activities, yet they are so much fun,” said the Red Deer mom, who also appreciated that festival lineups were not huge and there was no congestion. “You can bring a stroller and not bump into anyone.”
Festival co-ordinator Judy Scott, of Family Services of Central Alberta, was thrilled with the warm weather and the large turnout. She noted that 2,800 people came on Friday and guess-timated that up to 4,000 more could come through the gates Saturday.
Family Services worked with local agencies and business sponsors to put on the annual event that allows families a chance to “get back to the basics of play,” said Scott, who hopes parents will take away some of the festival’s simple ideas to entertain their kids at home.
The story tent, puppet show and bubble-wrap jump were a hit with Sherene King’s daughter from Rocky Mountain House.
Gabe Uzelman, 11, said his favourite thing was the balloon sword he got to keep.
His mother, Red Deer resident Lorena Uzelman, arrived with a variety of children, including a newborn, and appreciated there were activities all ages could enjoy.
Even teenagers were involved with the festival, helping at craft and face-painting stations.
lmichelin@www.reddeeradvocate.com