Imagination Garden

 

music time

 

 the Imagination Garden room

 different view of the room

Two Saturdays ago we attended a family event at the Riverfront Center (Amsterdam Mall) hosted by the newest spot there, Imagination Garden. The programs offered at Imagination Garden don't officially start until May 16th, but they had a grand opening celebration on April 23rd.
The activities they put on for the little ones were amazing! Every child there had a smile on their face. The day started at 1:00pm, but we didn't arrive until close to 2:00pm. There was a crawl threw tunnel set up where kids found animals in the tunnel, buckets to throw basketballs into, a sandbox filled with beans that you filled a plastic easter egg up with beans to make a rattle, lift up the plastic ducks in a kiddie pool filled with water to find one with a moose on the bottom, throw a sticky ball onto the behind of an animal with a target on it, and I'm sure more that I'm forgetting. There was also a lemonade stand set up where the kids took some premade lemonade in a container, squeezed some precut lemons in it, added some scoops of sugar, and some scoops of ice, put the top on and shook it up real good to make their own lemonade. Beside the lemonade table was a table set up full of free goodies like cupcakes and cookies. Yum!
At around 2:30 they stopped the games and had everyone gather around some set up microphones for song time. There were lots of little different colored carpets laid out in a semicircle all around the microphones. There were three adults that began to sing and they were good! They sang lots of cute songs and had the kids involved with their easter egg rattles, yellow submarine signs glued to popsicle sticks that the kids found under their carpets, and some sign language songs too.
I really can't say how impressed I was by the organization and planning that went in to all of this. AMAZING!!
After the kids danced and sang their little hearts out, there was a basket raffle. The tickets, ahem I mean gold coins, were  $1 for one or 6 for $5. We were feeling lucky after recently winning the grand prize basket drawing through Peaceful Valley Maple Farms, I talked the hubby into buying 6. Plus, with all of this being put on for free, I wanted to donate something. We won two baskets! The baskets were set up as a first called number got to pick whichever basket they wanted and so on. Towards the end I think people were just going up and grabbing baskets, but whatever..
Oh, and there was a free face painting booth too, everything was free.
Starting May 16th, the Imagination Garden is offering free programs to the locals!! We signed up for the evening classes offered because my youngest is too small to gain anything from the day classes and my oldest would be in school. Judging by this grand opening day though, I am sure the classes will rock!! Cannot wait!