Kids’ day

I’ve been wondering if there is any interest to pursue the idea of a town-wide day to showcase the activities that are out there for our kids.

As an involved parent/coach/scout leader I see often that deadlines to sign up for activities are missed, so parents sign kids up late and they miss the first few weeks of an activity. Even worse, you get your kids ready and buy lots of expensive equipment for something that it turns out they have no interest in.

What if our town had an organized “open house” for all of the youth activities that are offered, all on one day, or weekend? Soccer fields, baseball fields, basketball courts filled with coaches and players enjoying loosely organized games and drills, with calendars and contact information, and promotional materials ready to hand out. Craft tents and hikes and music could be featured by scouts and musical groups. Kids would have a great opportunity to see what all these programs are like. Parents would get to meet face to face with some of the great people involved before emails start flying. Volunteers could be recruited. All of the fantastic opportunities for kids to engage with each other can be on display and nobody will be left out. It’s proven that when kids are involved in activities, they’re less likely to get in trouble. I think our town has a wealth of opportunities for our kids to be active. Why don’t we make sure they have a chance to see what’s out there.