Under the Sea at the Marshfield Children’s Festival
By Jennifer Fredrick
MHS Career and Technical Education Coordinator
Marshfield’s 17th annual Children’s Festival promises to be bigger and better than ever. The theme for this year’s festival, “Under the Sea,” indicates the fun and active atmosphere planned for the event. The Marshfield Children’s Festival takes place April 8 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Marshfield High School. Admission is $2.
At the Children’s Festival, Marshfield Clinic-Healthy Lifestyles-Marshfield Area Coalition will be having a Bike Rodeo, where children in grades K-6 can bring their bicycles for a safety inspection. The inspections will include checking the tires, brakes, helmet, chain, and frame to ensure they work properly. There will be education on the safety rules of the road.
Children will then have a chance to ride their bicycles through a short course to apply the rules they have learned. Healthy Lifestyles will also provide educational materials on bicycle safety and the benefits of cycling.
Another popular activity is provided by members of the Home Professionals of Central Wisconsin Inc. as volunteers will help children make a toy out of wood. Members of the Home Professionals of Central Wisconsin Inc. cut out the pieces from scrap wood and help the children and parents make the toys, using little hammers and nails. Past toys have included wagons, doll beds, airplanes, and trucks.
The projects are provided at no extra charge to the children attending the festival. All materials are donated by the Home Professionals of Central Wisconsin Inc.
The Marshfield Clinic Health System Teddy Bear Clinic helps children learn about a medical examination in a nonthreatening environment.
“Marshfield Clinic Health System donates 300 stuffed toys. They’re gone within a couple of hours, so we encourage children to bring their own stuffed animals for the clinic,” said Jane Wagner, a Marshfield Children’s Festival volunteer. This year, Marshfield Clinic Health System will provide stuffed sea creatures to coordinate with the festival theme.
A special play area will feature inflatables and games from H2 Extreme Party Rentals. Performances by Main Street Conservatory of Dance, Reis Martial Arts Academy, Making Music Together, Aber Suzuki Center, and more are also scheduled throughout the event.
The MHS Careers with Kids students and their teacher, RaeAnn Leonhardt, will also invite participants to join in children’s games and activities. A concession stand will be hosted by Carla MacArthur and students in Family and Consumer Sciences classes.
“Families can really plan to spend the entire time at the festival. They can play and have lunch and then play some more,” added MacArthur. The students sell nutritious foods such as string cheese and apple slices.
The Children’s Festival supports the Marshfield Human Services Academy, a program of Marshfield High School located within the Tiny Tiger Intergenerational Center, which also houses Tiny Tiger Child Care Centers of Marshfield and Companion Day Services. The mission of the Human Services Academy is to create a lasting bond between generations by educating youth in an innovative intergenerational learning environment.
In the Human Services Academy, students learn about lifespan development, careers in human services, community agencies, and have the opportunity to interact with people of all ages.
If you have questions or would like to get involved with the Children’s Festival, call Jennifer Fredrick at 715-387-8464, ext. 4376.
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