Because little people usually require big people to drive them, supervise them, and pay their way, children’s events are a popular way to bring families downtown.
Cities nationwide are adding an array of children’s programming to downtown calendars in an effort to attract those families. Some efforts include folding children’s activities into existing events, while others are kids-only fun, and others still focus on particularly kid-friendly holidays with Easter Egg hunts, costume parades, main street trick or treating, and early-evening fireworks on New Year’s Eve.
The April issue of Downtown Idea Exchange newsletter includes seven examples of programming that attracts families to enjoy all that downtown has to offer. Included is the Kids Downtown Makers Tour launched in York, PA, in 2016.
For the inaugural event, the downtown organization approached businesses that already had kid-friendly products to be tour sites. Businesses that offer hands-on children’s activities, host summer camps, or serve as birthday party venues, are the focus.
At each stop, participants learned details about the business owner and/or the business, and had opportunities to become “makers” via on-site activities.
Kids got to make pretzels at the York City Pretzel Company, bath fizzies at the Sunrise Soap Company, personal pizzas at YorKitchen, and crafts at Creative York.
The hope is that if parents enjoy stops along the tour, they may patronize the businesses in the future, says Downtown, Inc.
More creative children’s programming appears in the April issue of Downtown Idea Exchange. Click to learn more about Downtown Idea Exchange and other resources for revitalizing downtowns and commercial corridors.