Early childhood gym fills with holiday fun

Parents and small children gathered for games and crafts with a Christmas twist Dec. 9 in the gym at the Frank White Education Center.

The Early Childhood Family Education program’s winter family fun night featured a bounce house, face painting, and visits with Santa Claus.

Amid a hubbub of children’s voices, groups also crowded around activities such as an oatmeal table, decorating Christmas cookies and pinecones, making necklaces out of Fruit Loops and string, using candy canes as tinker toys, and using rolling pins and cookie cutters to mess around with modeling clay.

Children from toddlers up to school age joined the fun.

1/7: Josie Torkelson gets her face painted by Alicia Nemmo in festive, holiday style during the Early Childhood Family Education program's Christmas-themed family event Dec. 9, 2021 in Park Rapids. Robin Fish / Park Rapids Enterprise

2/7: Using candy canes as tinker toys during ECFE family fun night Dec. 9, 2021 at the Frank White Education Center are, from left, Gavin Quinn, Hudson Caron and Oliver Caron. Robin Fish / Park Rapids Enterprise

3/7: Cookie crunchers decorated their own Christmas cookies with red and green frosting and multicolored sprinkles during the Dec. 9, 2021 family event in the Frank White Education Center gym. Robin Fish / Park Rapids Enterprise

4/7: A group of children glues sprinkles to pine cones at one of many activity tables in the Frank White Education Center gym Dec. 9, 2021 in Park Rapids. Robin Fish / Park Rapids Enterprise

5/7: Will Steffen presses a cookie cutter into a rolled-out piece of modeling clay, helped by Allie Steffen, during early childhood family fun night Dec. 9, 2021 in Park Rapids. Robin Fish / Park Rapids Enterprise

6/7: Milauni Branson enjoys a visit with Santa Claus, a.k.a. Terry Morris, during the Christmas-themed family event Dec. 9, 2021 at the Frank White Education Center. Robin Fish / Park Rapids Enterprise

7/7: Macy and Briella Boyd play "Frosty's Snowball Toss" during the family event Dec. 9, 2021 in the Frank White gym. Robin Fish / Park Rapids Enterprise