Families flock to kids' event

WHAT A HIT: Kya Te Huia, 7, plays bat-down at Springvale Park.PHOTO/BEVAN CONLEY

Families flooded Springvale Stadium on Sunday for Children's Day.

Kids wandered around clutching pots with flowers in them, while others chased balloons or blew bubbles.

In the entrance, one girl concentrated on carefully applying purple paint to an egg. Behind her sat a table of other colourful, bedazzled, googly-eyed eggs.

Outside, Sport Whanganui coach Sam Atkinson was supervising a game of bat-down.

"The kids got into it straight away," Miss Atkinson said.

They would also play tug of war, frisbee, throw around a vortex, and they had a couple of ladders for running and dragging, she said.

Meanwhile, Jackie Andrews was wandering about with 5-year-old Lily Andrews, who said Children's Day was "fun".

When asked what her favourite thing was, Lily exclaimed "pigs!"

Upon realising the question was about her favourite thing at Children's Day, Lily pointed to the blow-up obstacle course.

Skip Whanganui's Liza Iliffe, a co-ordinator of the event, said they had about 4000 people attend.

"It was lovely seeing dads painting children's faces or mums sitting next to their children doing an activity," she said.

Mrs Iliffe said the event could not be held without the support of everyone who set up stalls and activity spots.