Children are invited to boost their “physical literacy” at the 100 Mile House Winterfest.
The annual event, which connects young families with local recreation opportunities, will take place at the South Cariboo Rec Centre Jan. 27. Slated for 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., the event is aimed at introducing children under the age of five to some of the best ways to get physical.
“Many families haven’t had the chance to experience some of our recreational facilities in the area and so for our physical literacy events we try to connect families and give them a positive experience in those spaces,” said Beulah Munson, School District 27’s early learning coordinator. “So we’re going to provide some fun activities that get the whole family active and allow them to experience the joy of being active as a family.”
Students in SD27 consistently score low on the physical literacy scale, which also includes health and wellbeing, such as ensuring they have coats and boots for winter weather, said Munson.
The event is sponsored by the StrongStart and Ready, Set, Learn program. SD27 educators will be joined by several 100 Mile community groups. These include the 100 Mile House Cariboo Regional District Library, the Cariboo Family Enrichment Centre, the Cedar Crest Society for Community Living and the Cariboo-Chilcotin Partners for Literacy.
Inside the rec centre, each group will have their own booth with information for parents and activities for the whole family. This will include a snowball toss, a mitten hunt, a snowman craft and storytime. They will also provide free skates so families can go for a spin around the rink.
COVID-19 restrictions are in place, per provincial health guidelines, including wearing masks in the rec centre, proof of vaccination for adults and respecting the distance of other families.
However, Munson said she wanted to ensure the event was inclusive for all and will add similar activity booths outside with a grab-and-go option for families that aren’t comfortable coming inside or don’t meet the vaccine requirement.
“We also wanted to go the extra mile to make sure we were being inclusive to everybody in the community,” Munson said.
Children, both in and outside the rec centre, will receive an activity bag to bring home. In the bag, they’ll find a craft kit, a cookie decorating kit and a storybook to enjoy with their families. Roaming between the outdoor and indoor venue will be Winterfest’s mascot, a snowman, who will be available for photo ops.
While the recent COVID-19 surge and accompanying health restrictions have been concerning, Munson said the event is still good to go ahead barring new restrictions. She’s anticipating 50 to 100 families will attend the event.
“I’d love to see a bunch of different families come out and we definitely feel we’re doing the best we can in the landscape we have by offering activities outdoors,” she said. “That way families, regardless of their vaccination status, can come out and have a good time.”
patrick.davies@100milefreepress.net
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
