Bouncy houses, face painting, carnival games, oh my!
Our children oftentimes don’t get to participate in fun pastimes others might take for granted. That’s why every year, rain or shine, The Children’s Center hosts the Summer Smash, a full-blown vintage carnival that gives our families a chance to put aside their worries and have loads of fun.
A stellar turnout
This year, the event was held in July and drew more than 1,000 children and families. We were proud to partner with event sponsors at Young’s Pharmacy, Molina Life, and Crain Communications, and more than 24 community partners who provided educational and health resources at the event.
Families were encouraged to interact with our partners and collect stamps for each table they visited. Those who accumulated 10 stamps or more were entered into a gift card drawing.
Just for Fun
From bouncy houses to face painting, sculptured balloon-making to carnival games, our families had plenty of opportunities to share in the fun together. Game prizes included a variety of essential school supplies – perfect timing for back-to-school.
Volunteer staff got involved too, donning costumes and jumping into characters as lion tamers, snake charmers, and bearded ladies to interact with our kids in a playful way.
Always Time for Reading
Even with a full-blown carnival in play, The Children’s Center staff enticed children and parents to come sit a spell in our Reading Room.
Local authors Renee Prewitt and Pamela Whitehead read to approximately 30 children, and each child was able to select a book to take home. Parents were entered into drawings for gift cards and author-signed copies of the books.
Looking Forward to Next Summer
With the success of this year’s event, we’re already eagerly awaiting next year’s Summer Smash. Bringing smiles to our families’ faces brings a smile to ours.
Thank You Community Partners!
- The Children’s Center Head Start
- Fresh Corner Café
- New York Life
- Molina Life
- Young Pharmacy
- Community Outreach
- Wayne Metro
- Advantage Health
- Meridian Health
- Focus Hope
- Detroit Pal
- Salvation Army
- Teen H.Y.P.E
- Consumer Council
- Whole Foods
- Mission of Peace
- Warners Corner Toys
- BHPI
- Accounting Aid Society
- Detroit Public Safety Academy
- Consumer Link
- Care Managers
- Boy Scouts
- Crain’s Communications
