Parents and children gathered at Dr. John’s Playground at Gerritsen Avenue and Avenue X on Saturday, June 22nd, for the second event in the Marine Park Alliance (MPA) Summer Children’s Series, known as “Just for Kids.”
Saturday’s “Inching Along” event was curated by Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) Librarian Melissa McCarthy and MPA board member Margot Perron. Inching Along presented an educational opportunity for families to learn more about the wildlife that surrounds them and create crafts depicting the small animals they learned about.
McCarthy started the event by reading several books to the children that noted the diverse communities of Brooklyn, starting with Hello, Brooklyn!, continuing with the comedic book, Worm Loves Worm, which showed insects interacting with one another, and finishing with the equally funny, Where Do You Poop?
Afterwards, Perron presented the craft section, where she talked about the anatomy of worms and showed children and their parents how to make their own animals, such as worms and butterflies, with fuzzy sticks, googly eyes and glue.
“I think that it is about strengthening bonds among organizations in the community, so that’s really important to have us working together,” said McCarthy. “The biggest thing is that it’s for the kids, that we have activities for them, that we have fun stuff for them to do. Stuff that is creative, constructive and safe.”
With the help of the MPA and BPL, members of the community learned something new on a sunny afternoon. “It’s an opportunity for the kids to be in the park, connect with community resources, both the library and the park, and use their imaginations,” said Perron. “We had fun.”
The next “Just for Kids” event – “Movie Under the Stars: Under the Boardwalk” – will be held at 8 p.m. on Sunday, June 30th, at the Carmine Carro Community Center, 3000 Fillmore Avenue. Families are encouraged to wear their pajamas and bring a blanket!
