The South Cariboo Early Years Centre can’t hold large events because of COVID-19 so it is finding ways to bring activities into children’s homes.
Erica Henderson, supervisor of early year services and programs, said the centre is offering family activity packs, with the latest being a Halloween themed kit. Each kit contains various activities and craft to do with children, in lieu of attending events and programs the centre usually provides this time of year.
“It’s our way of engaging families with their children during the pandemic,” Henderson said.
The Halloween activity packs, being given out this week in the parking lot until Oct. 30 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., have a wide range of fun spooky-themed things to do. These include a scavenger hunt they could do instead of Trick’R’Treating, a recipe to make monster teeth out of peanut butter and marshmallow, their own glow stick, a tiny pumpkin to paint, a ghost finger painting activity, a spider activity pack and stickers, crayons and other art supplies.
“It’s a free bag of activities, everything you need. What we like about it, and the reason we did it at this point and time, is families are really struggling with ideas to keep their preschoolers and kids who aren’t in school active and doing things. They just have to open it up and all the activities are ready for them,” Henderson said.
The centre’s previous Thanksgiving and Fire Safety kits reached more than 240 children and 130 families, Henderson said, and she’s hoping to connect with the same number of people with the Halloween kits.
Henderson said she plans to do another winter-themed kit in November and a Christmas-themed one in December. For more information on when they are available, she invites the public to follow them on Facebook via Cariboo Kids.
“It’s really important for us to do the face-to-face and see the families that we’re used to seeing. It gives them the opportunity to ask questions and for other services,” Henderson said. “We are still here, we are still open and are still providing services, it’s just looking a bit different than normal.”
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