Events kick-off Week of the Child

The best thing about being a kid, says Samantha Nicksy, 9, is "you get to have a lot of fun."                 Adults can have tons of fun too, said the girl, but "things would get pretty chaotic" if they took it too far.     Samantha was among dozens of kids - and their grown-up companions - who took part in kick-off activities for the upcoming Week of the Child, scheduled for Oct. 15-23.  Memorial Park was transformed into a "cardboard city", and environmentally friendly crafts were made.             "We really focus on educational play," said Pierre Harrison of PLAYLearnThink.  "At Christmas

Amber Lyn MacDonald, 3, made her forest fairy friend Saturday during a Week of the Child kick-off event in Memorial Park.  Week of the Child is from Oct. 15-23.
ROB O'FLANAGAN/THE SUDBURY STAR

       BY ROB O'FLANAGAN             The Sudbury Star

time, young kids take the toy out of the box, and they play with the box. That's the concept behind what we're doing here - use boxes to build a cardboard village that the kids can grow and develop as their imagination takes them."         Children spent the morning at the park.  At 11:30 a.m., they formed a parade to Market Square, where further activities were held.           Kate Barber is the Children's Services Planner for the city.  Parents are constantly asked to pay for nearly everything their children are involved in.                                  "We don't know of any activities in the community where it is really free," she said.  "With this, any child can   

come out and do whatever is available, without having to pay."   Organizers of the Week of the Child want to send the clear message that kids are an important part of our community, Barber said.              "They are not just our future, they are right now," she said.  "When they are marching down the street and the cars have to wait for them, that says they are important.  And when they are in this park on a Saturday and filling Market Square, that shows they are a presence in our community and they are important in and of themselves."                                Visit www.weekofthechild.ca to learn more about upcoming events and activities.