Here’s Erin’s review of Winnipeg’s 1st Pop-up Adventure Play
The Manitoba Nature Summit partnered with Riverview Community Center on October 21, 2017 to bring Winnipeg the very first Pop-up Adventure Play. The event was an overwhelming success. A sunny warm fall day (temperature reaching 19 degC) welcomed an attendance of over 125 people. Families from all over Winnipeg, together with South Osborne families came to Riverview Community Centre for three hours of fun creating, building, smashing, risk taking, laughing, and, snacking.
A key part of a Pop-Up Adventure Play is the “loose parts” provided for the children to create. Loose parts included: small and large card board boxes, dowlings, pallets, tires, planks, off cuts/deck ends, containers, lids, streamers, light switches, sticks, stumps, canning lids, chalk, rubber mallets, scissors, pipe cleaners, string, fabric, other craft supplies just to name a few………..and tons and tons of tape!
We saw babies in boxes, toddlers smashing egg cartons with rubber mallets, chalking on cardboard, making of giant tape ribbons, and stacking of deck ends. We also saw pre-schoolers balancing on planks and tires. School age children made houses, forts, and art creations. Kids were encouraged to make a mess and take risks while parents sat back and relaxed while drinking coffee and chatting with neighbours and new friends. Everyone was encouraged to eat snacks and have fun!
Due to Riverview Community Centre and their excellent environmentally sustainable waste management, little garbage was degenerated. Everything was either composed or recycled. Even the plastics from wrappers (granola bars and cookies) as well as any styrofoam parts, were recycled through Winnipeg Recycling (winnipegrecycling.com).
A Special Thanks to:
Charles Musto and Quinn from the Riverview Community Centre for providing the venue, advertising, coffee supplies, sound system, and help with set up.
Music supplied by Riverview’s own DJ Beefy D
Nat Kosteckyj for post-Pop Up clean up duties.
Board Members from The Manitoba Nature Summit (NatureSummitMB.com) for organizing the event and advertising through their vast network and Facebook page.
……….and all who helped collect and donated loose parts for our event!