Excitement leading up to Kids Festival
By Jamie Melbourne-Hayward
Thousands of Hutt City children are gearing up for the city?s inaugural children?s festival, the Kaleidoscope KidsFest, which runs from 6 - 17 July. More than 15 local community organisations and businesses have signed up to take part in the festival this year by coordinating events for children to attend. Hutt City Recreation & Events Manager Duncan Chisholm says, ?We hope that the number of groups participating will grow each year?. ?Children have over twenty different events to choose from across the two-week school holiday period. ?There is a great range of activities on offer including art and craft workshops, sports, dance classes and even an opportunity to learn about being a fire-fighter,? he says. TheNewDowse is hosting clay and painting workshops, and a host of other places in the Hutt will be alive with activity. To help kids decide what events they are keenest to participate in, the holiday activities are grouped under the headings of Arts, Crafts & Creativity, set around releasing children?s inner artist and creating something unique. Knowledge & Discovery that looks to expand small minds with fantastic facts, and finally Sports, Games, Dance & Entertainment to keep the movers and shakers from going crazy over the break. Most events are free or low-cost to encourage locals to get involved. The Kaleidoscope KidsFest is coordinated by Hutt City Council Leisure Active, who are administering the festival as well as coordinating some of the events. The council hope every child 7 to 12-years-old will get their own copy so they can choose what they?d like to participate in. Programmes will be distributed via primary schools, but will also be available at council facilities such as libraries, swimming pools, museums and the Hutt City i-Site. The programme is also available online at huttcity.govt.nz/kidsfest.
