Fun day in the park all about kids
Booths offer Twister, castle, paint mixing even violins

Aug 12, 2007

Author: Shawn Vestal

Position: Staff writer

Source: Spokesman Review

The stroller count was high Saturday in Riverfront Park, as thousands of families flooded in for the annual Kids Day celebration.

Children had scores of games and activities to try, ranging from playing a violin to watching a mime to whacking a dummy with a bamboo kendo sword. Tied in with the activities was information about services and organizations that help families, as well as some business booths.

"The whole premise is everybody's supposed to do a free activity for kids," said Chris Leinweber, who coordinated the event for primary sponsor public TV station KSPS.

So the chiropractor's booth offered a game of Twister. An environmental group provided a water-drop race. The Cub Scouts had a bouncy castle.

Randy Fisher, education director for the Spokane Symphony, oversaw a booth that put violins and trumpets into the hands of impressionable youngsters.

"We're helping them have a wonderful first experience playing a musical instrument," he said. "They will never think an instrument is hard or something they don't want to do, because they had a good experience in a minute."

Last year, more than 600 kids stepped up for a minute on the violin or trumpet.

While Fisher spoke, 3-year-old Jason Wall tentatively drew a bow across the violin strings as his dad watched and mom took pictures.

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