All welcome to play and learn at Whanganui Family Fun Day

A day of fun and learning is on offer at this year's Family Fun Day at Springvale Stadium.

Whanganui’s Family Fun Day on March 25 will have an underlying safety message.

The free Family Fun Day will be held from 10am to 2pm on Saturday, March 25 at Springvale Stadium.

The event, organised by Safer Whanganui and Whanganui District Council, showcases the range of safety and wellbeing support services available in the community through fun activities. The council’s community activator Harriet McKenzie said everyone in the community was invited to attend.

“This year, we have a bunch of great organisations on board,” McKenzie said.

“It’s a day of fun, but also with an underlying safety message about keeping our families safe. Through activities run by different groups, families can play together while learning about how to be safe at home. And it wouldn’t be a Family Fun Day without a free sausage sizzle and fruit.”

Organisations taking part include Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz), Community Patrol, Sport Whanganui, Civil Defence, Woven Whānau, Birthright, Te Oranganui, Te Whatu Ora, the Cancer Society and others.

Fenz will have an inflatable fire escape for adults and children to try, police will provide a safety demonstration, and there will be an obstacle course and an opportunity to build a cardboard castle, as well as a safety quiz, with prizes up for grabs.

“There’s such a mix of activities this year – you can try safety gear on and have your photo taken, add a drawing of your own home to the Whanganui art wall, or ride the bikes that will be available at the Springvale bike park,” McKenzie said.

At 12.30pm, gymnasts at the Whanganui Boys and Girls Gym Club will showcase their aerobatic skills with a tumbling display. Following the performance, the gym will be open until 1pm for tamariki to give it a go.

“Last year we had over 1000 people attending, and we are hoping for the same numbers this time around. Everything is geared toward keeping your whānau well and safe, and it’s nice to be able to pass these learnings on while having a laugh.”

Family Fun Day is an initiative of Safer Whanganui, a community-led coalition of agencies and groups working in partnership to provide leadership and direction for the promotion of community safety in Whanganui. The event has run since 2016, apart from in 2021 and 2022, when it was cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Full event details are available at: www.whanganui.govt.nz/Your-Council/News-Events/Events/Family-Fun-Day-2023.