First Kids’ Discovery Day turned out to be a big hit

Lieve Parisis, Pincher Creek & District Chamber of Commerce

Last Saturday, the Pincher Creek & District Chamber of Commerce hosted its first Kids’ Discovery Day with the idea to bring the business community together with the community at large.

This free event for kids ages 6-12 turned out to be a huge success! 27 kids signed up, and dressed in their Kids’ Discovery t-shirts and a big smile, their exploration tour started at 10am.

Dr. Zoe Wagenaar shows kids x-rays at 
the Pincher Creek Veterinary Clinic
Lieve Parisis photo

15 local businesses and organizations opened their doors to welcome groups of up to 5 kids. By offering them some engaging, hands-on experiences the kids got to learn lots about the businesses in their community. For participating businesses and community service agencies, it was an opportunity to raise awareness of their products, services and activities and to encourage community volunteerism. And it worked! 1 youngster signed up to volunteer with The Pincher Planters while participating in the activity and another one is strongly thinking about becoming a Pincher Planter as well.

A short summary of the activities kids got to explore:

• At the Pincher Creek Veterinary Clinic, kids got to see x-rays of different animals, they got to stitch up a real (stuffy) bear, they got to wear masks and special glasses to see how a laser is used during surgery and lots more.
• At Miso Sushi, they learned all about making Sushi Rolls, using different ingredients, find out how difficult it is to roll them and how good they taste!
• Papa Joe entertained the crowd making balloon animals and showing magic tricks.
• Ever used a piping bag to decorate cupcakes, ever rolled ginger cookies or used different colors of icing on those yummy sugar cookies? 5 kids became experienced bakers at Celestial Sweets.
• Geared with a camera, a pen and a notebook, junior journalists went out for an interview and published their stories illustrated and movies on the Pincher Voice website.
• At the Fire Hall the biggest attraction was the ambulance where they could see their own heart beat on the monitor.
• At Mountainside printing/Shootin’ the Breeze, the kids saw how a newspaper is made and printed. They each got to take home their own newspaper personalized with their own article as well as a package of business cards they assembled themselves. 
• The Pincher Planters showed the kids how their volunteer work makes the Cenotaph park the beautiful park it is today. They got to plant and water flowers, do some weeding and they each took home a nice flower and herb pot they planted themselves.
• Everyone had a blast at the Mountain Radio booth where they could record their own voices and play with the sounds.
• At the Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village kids learned the importance of storytelling and what it takes to be an interpreter.
• During a visit at the Pincher Creek SPCA, dog Tex was overwhelmed with hugs and petting hands.
• At the Brick, 2 kids showed how handy they are by putting together a table and some chairs.
• At KaJay automotive they learned lots about auto mechanics and the kids got to handle an air gun to take off a tire.
• At the Co-op bulk plants they got the climb on top off a big truck to see how it was filled up with gas.
• The Ramada offered a tour behind the scene to see what it takes to run a hotel.

And did the kids have fun? I think the following quotes speak for themselves:

‘This was so much fun!
‘I want to do this again soon.’
‘If I would have known it would have been that good, I could have brought at least 6 more kids.’
‘It was great that even little brothers and sisters were invited to take part in some activities. That made it a perfect day for the whole family.’
‘Mom, I can build a solar oven here. How cool is that?’
‘It was a fun learning experience for both of my kids.’
‘I had never seen my own heart beat on a monitor before!’

Gassing up at the Co-op Bulk Plant
Lieve Parisis photo

We even had some parents that would like to offer an activity themselves next year!
The Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village was the central venue where kids could participate in a chalk drawing contest, build a solar oven and let their creativity run wild while playing with PlayMais.

At the end of the event, 8 kids showed their entrepreneurial skills at the kids’ market where they promoted  and sold their home made jewellery, baking, toys and crafts! A great end to a successful day.

Discovery Kids visit with Fire Chief Dave Cox
Lieve Parisis photo

Everyone went home with a satisfied smile on their faces and lots of new experiences in their pockets which tells me they for sure will be coming back next year.

The Pincher Creek & District Chamber of Commerce wants to thank the Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village and the Parent Link Centre as well as all sponsors and activity providers!

The first step towards another innovative Pincher Creek Chamber event has been set! We’re already thinking about how to make Kids’ Discovery Day 2013 an even bigger success.

Visit our website www.pincher-creek.com for more pictures.