– by Lara Gladych –
If you have young children and are unfamiliar with Panorama’s Play in the Park program, this is the summer to make it a part of your evening family fun.
Play in the Park is a no-cost evening event put on by Panorama staff at local parks throughout the summer. Every weekday evening from 5.30 – 8.30 p.m., families are invited to drop-by and participate in interactive play, face painting, group games, and to challenge themselves on the giant 50 foot inflatable obstacle course.
Melanie Alsdorf is Community Recreation Coordinator for Youth Programs at Panorama, and she is in charge of the program this year. We talked about the importance of the program in connecting our community not just to the outdoors, local parks and physical activity, but also to each other.
As a society we continually see less activity for our kids, but this is an opportunity “to come out as a family for a play, to be active in the evening, and to be outdoors.” Melanie highlights the importance of unstructured play for children, and sees this program as a fantastic way to not only relax and enjoy family time outside, but also as a great way to make use of your evenings to maximize activity. Not to mention that it creates a rendezvous of sorts for families in the neighbourhood, which forges important friendship and bonds.
“The program reaches those who can’t afford it otherwise, and it touches those who may not have any interest in such a program otherwise.” By bringing the program to your neighbourhood, families can easily access fun-filled play with other kids. The hope is also that this will engage families, and that there will ultimately be a transition to other programs for children at Panorama, such as swimming or skating lessons, in the off-season.
When I ask Melanie if they’re reaching the families they’d hoped to, she seems pleased with what they’re achieving going into their third year. There has been great attendance, about 50 – 70 participants per evening, coupled with very positive feedback.
Melanie is also pleased to note that on staff this summer are three Pauquachin nation members. They are making an effort to reach out to our aboriginal communities and their young families, with the hope that they can establish a connection to the program for these kids and their parents.
Play in the Park starts July 2nd with a Launch Party at Iroquois Park. For more information and a schedule, visit Panorama’s website, www.panoramarecreation.ca, under Play in the Park.
