For Father’s Day, Saanich Neighbourhood Place is hosting a BYOB event – bring your own box.
As many parents have witnessed, it’s often the big box packaging that provides the fun for kids, rather than a new toy.
Based on that idea of building a fort or a castle together, the parent resource centre at Pearkes recreation is asking dads and their kids to bring along any size or shape of cardboard box this Saturday morning.
Jordan Czop, family support worker at Saanich Neighbourhood Place, said the idea for an event came out of chatting with dads at his regular Saturday dad and kid drop-in play group.
“One of the dads said he had a box was in his living room for about a year, which his kids used as a house and a spaceship,” Czop said. “The boxes are a springboard for creativity and I thought it would make a good event.
“The gym was available that day so it was perfect opportunity for dads to do something fun with their kids,” he said. “I thought it would be an opportunity for dad to engage with their kids and do something different.”
The centre has collected loads of boxes and duct tape and supplies for any dads and kids who want to drop by Pearkes to build cool cardboard creations.
“I hope it will become an annual event. It’s nice to have just before Father’s Day,” he said.
Czop has been running a Saturday drop-in group for three years, which usually draws about 30 dads and kids for free play time, games and crafts.
“We keep Saturdays for dads. Moms thank me for giving them a break for sending dad out to go and have some fun,” he said.
The Bring Your Own Box Father’s Day event is June 15 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. in the Pearkes fieldhouse (a.k.a. the gym). See saanichneighbourhoodplace.com.
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