Summer in Garden Place set to make a splash

It’s all about the kids in Garden Place for the next couple of Saturdays.

Hamilton City Council’s Summer in Garden Place programme of events will see the More FM Kids Water Carnival fill the city square tomorrow (14 January), followed next Saturday (21 January) by a Trade Toy Fair where young entrepreneurs can buy and sell old toys.

Garden Place Space Manager Greg Stack says the More FM Kids Water Carnival and Toy Trade Fair have been scheduled to help parents entertain children during the school holidays.

Kicking off at 11am and running through until 3pm, the Kids Water Carnival promises fun literally to saturation point for Hamilton’s children.

Tomorrow’s watery fun includes installation of an 8m pool with large inflatable balls for kids to play in, as well as water catapults and plenty of the wet stuff shooting up from the new in-ground Garden Place fountain.

“Kids love water, particularly at this time of year, and the Summer in Garden Place More FM Kids Water Carnival will save parents the hassle of blowing up inflatable backyard pools,” Mr Stack says. “It’s also free.”

“Parents can probably expect to get a bit wet themselves, too – so I’d recommend a bag of towels for the family, and some dry clothes for the kids.”

The Toy Trade Fair next weekend, from 11am to 3pm, offers kids the opportunity to sell their unwanted toys and buy new ones.

“It’s also a chance for kids to run their own stalls, learn about money and the concepts of buying and selling,” Mr Stack says.

Would-be toy stall holders can get parents to register them by emailing Mr Stack at greg.stack@hcc.govt.nz

The first Toy Trade Fair in Hamilton was held in 2010, and was instigated by Cr Peter Bos, who encountered a similar event while visiting the Dutch town of Oirschot.