Woodbury Kids is helping to encourage families to get out and play this summer.
“If your child happens to find one of these special painted rocks at a local playground this summer, take a quick picture and post to social media with #woodburykidsrock. We’ve created a summer bucket list of activities that families can join in and we will be giving away a free family membership to the Science Museum,” says Stacey Morgan, who, along with fellow moms Lindsey Thompson, Jen McKinnon and Lindsey Palmer, is working to connect local families with local resources.
Woodbury Kids organizes a resource fair each January that brings schools, businesses and activities under one roof—all things kids. The event is free for attendees, and the organizers’ goal is to keep it low-cost for the participating schools and businesses that might not have big marketing budgets.
“Families go to Woodbury Kids knowing that every vendor there has been curated, and is something they could truly need,” says McKinnon. “It’s a one-stop shop for all things kids in Woodbury and surrounding communities.”
The moms behind Woodbury Kids know what it’s like to navigate all the many options available at different stages of parenting, and are sharing what they know to help others.
“Many parents here, like myself, are transplants,” says Lindsey Thompson. “Not having grown up here, I was used to the one city option for sports. But coming to Woodbury where there are three high schools and multiple athletic associations, it can be hard to understand the complexity of it all. We try to have a representation of all the athletic associations and sports all under one roof. That helps give clarity to parents.”
In fact, Woodbury Kids first began with a conversation between these local moms about finding preschool options for their children.
“I struggled to find a preschool and found the process very time-consuming,” says Thompson, who commiserated with her neighbor Jen McKinnon. “I felt that there was a better way to do it, like a college fair.”
Thompson and McKinnon agreed to organize such an event, and in January 2014, they hosted the first Woodbury Preschool Fair with 18 preschools and saw 200 attendees. By year two, the event tripled.
Now, they've renamed themselves Woodbury Kids and included 90 family- and kid-related vendors, including 25 schools, plus entertainment and fun for the entire family. This year’s event saw over 1,500 attendees.
The opportunity also provides a great chance for local businesses to interact with the community.
“The businesses like knowing that it’s their demographic attending,” says Lindsay Palmer. “For example, they can show if they do birthday parties or the ages for sports sign-up.”
“We are always looking for new business as we keep finding things that are new, and we’ve been doing this for five years. Imagine parents who just moved to town, how overwhelming it is,” adds McKinnon.
These busy moms, who each have other jobs in addition to running Woodbury Kids, agree that supporting the community is at the core.
“The impact that the event has on the community and families is what motivates us to keep going. We know it’s a need and we know it’s valuable, and that is very fulfilling for us,” adds Morgan.
Woodbury Kids 2019 will be held January 12 and is currently slated for Lake Middle School. Vendors can register online. Visit woodburykids.com for info.
If your child finds one of these special painted rocks at a local playground this summer, take a quick picture and post to social media with #woodburykidsrock.
