A rubber chicken flung from a slingshot and a ventriloquist with a giant multi-coloured bird were just some of the entertainments at Playfest, “Two Days of Fun” put on by the City of Maple Ridge on Nov. 21 and 22.
The event saw Science World’s interactive road show and ventriloquist Kelly Haines entertain a large group of kids in their PJs on Friday night at the Albion Community Centre for the Children’s Pajama Performance Night.
Then on Saturday the celebration of the National Day of the Child continued with bouncey castles, play stations, arts and crafts, face painting, a youth vendor market, and much more.
“It came from the idea to celebrate the National Day of the Child,” said Caroline Lee, a city children’s recreation programmer. “So we wanted to host an event where it’s all about the children having lots of fun,”
She said it’s a first-time running of this event, and “my team and I are really excited and proud to put this on.”
According to the Canada.ca website, National Child Day is about celebrating children as active participants in their own lives and in their communities, and active citizens who can and should meaningfully contribute to decisions that affect their lives.
The United Nations adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child on Nov. 20, 1989. Canada joined in 1991, making a commitment to ensure that all children are treated with dignity and respect, and have every opportunity to reach their full potential. This commitment includes protecting children from harm, ensuring children’s basic needs are met, providing children opportunities to have a voice, to speak out and be heard.