Scene & Heard - Block Fest: Children's Center, Imprints team up for event that encourages creativity

One of the large meeting rooms at the Children's Center for the Physically Disabled was transformed into building-block heaven on June 5. Representatives from Imprints, a support organization for early-childhood development, brought hundreds of blocks of all shapes and sizes to Block Fest.

An annual event designed to highlight the educational value of building with blocks, Block Fest brings children of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds together for several hours of creative play that parents can observe, share and replicate at home.

"Imprints is part of the Parents As Teachers organization in Forsyth County," said Julia Toone, a representative from Imprints. "Block Fest was started in 2006 by the University of Idaho, and Imprints hosted its first Block Fest last year."

Kathleen Cannon brought her daughters Audrey, 4, and Julia, 2.

Cannon said, "We have been involved with Imprints for almost three years, and our parent educator lets us know about events like this. My favorite part is watching the girls interact with the different types of blocks. It's nice to see kids step away from all of the gadgets we have today."

Shantel McGowan came with her daughter Anderson, 2.

"We heard about this event last year, but not early enough to sign up, so we decided to come out this year," McGowan said. "It's great because she played with these types of blocks for a while but had gotten away from it. Now she's getting back into it again."

Jaime and John Gallimore watched their son Charlie, 14 months, play with the blocks at each of six stations.

Jaime said, "We're having fun watching him try out the different kinds of blocks, and he really likes seeing the other kids."

Simona Chavez brought her daughters Guadaloupe and Sally.

"They like building with blocks," Chavez said. "This is our first year, and we are really enjoying it."

Boris, 3, and Anton Sisak, 6, built towers in various sizes while their mother, Monica, watched.

"We use Imprints once a month, and they come up with things you don't think about doing every day," Sisak said. "This is like a play date we can have together."

Conner Ward had wrapped up his kindergarten year the day before, and his mother, Joy, brought him out to encourage creativity.

"One of the things we've learned is to let the kids lead when they're playing," she said. "You can get the crayons out for them, but don't insist that they use green for the trees. Let them use purple if they want. It's OK to motivate them, but don't dictate what they should do."

Matt and Nikki Frances joined their daughter Palmer, 2, in block play.

Nikki said, "We've only been to two stations so far, but she really enjoys going through the towers we build."

Nearby, Annessa and Patrick Miller watched 13-month-old Kennedy choose her favorite blocks.

"I think the small blocks are more her size, and she enjoys watching the big kids build," Annessa Miller said.

"This is great because we really enjoy doing stuff with her," Patrick Miller said. "We stack blocks at home, so this is kind of right up our alley."

Denni Peebles is the development and donor relations coordinator for the Children's Center. She worked with Imprints representatives on the logistics of Block Fest.

"We had 15 classes come through yesterday, and they loved it," Peebles said. "The parent educators knew what each child was capable of, and they just let the energy flow. The Children's Center is such a logical venue for this type of event. We have people here from every area of Winston-Salem."

More than 430 guests attended over two days, and Toone said that one mother drove from Asheville and rented a hotel room for the night. She added that more than 40 staff members and community volunteers helped, suggesting activities to parents and gently directing the children to the appropriate stations.

"All of the classrooms came through yesterday, and we had kids out of their wheelchairs and on the mats playing," Toone said. "This is a great activity for a big group of children, and it has broad appeal. Every kind of family comes to this event.

"Part of our parent-education program is sharing all kinds of wonderful things parents can do to get their kids off to a great start," Toone said. "Research shows that the more time kids have to play with non-connecting blocks, the better, so we're excited about sharing this event with the community."

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