Thousands of people took in Family Day activities across Lethbridge on Monday. The University of Lethbridge hosted its annual Play Day event. “We see families here learning, discovering and exploring and just having fun with all of the activities we have here,” said Kathy Greenwood, University of Lethbridge vice-president of external relations. Thousands took part in the free event hosted inside the Co-Op Centre for Sport and Wellness. There were sporting activities like swimming, basketball and rock climbing, as well as arts and crafts, science demonstrations and cardboard fort making. “We want our campus to be a place where people feel at home, where they feel comfortable to come here from all across southern Alberta,” said Greenwood. “So, if we can have that here, just in terms of an area to play but also to learn and connect to community, we’re just thrilled to have this opportunity to do so.” “All of us coming today expected we were actually going to be helping the kids build the forts … it was really neat to see the creativity come out,” said Taunya Pickles, Westco Construction communications manager. Others in the city took full advantage of the warm weather to gather outside. “We’ve had a great response,” said Taylor Hecker, Helen Schuler Nature Centre senior program leader. “A lot of people are coming down here. It’s a beautiful day, so I think people were walking, and some people just came upon us, and some came down specifically for this.” Throughout the day, the nature centre welcomed residents to its two exhibits, Winter Wild Neighbours and The Power of Play. The nature centre also encouraged activities outdoors, including scavenger hunts, self-guided tours and more. “Our exhibits are about play, and I think that play is really important for everybody,” said Hecker. “Usually, we think about it for children, but it’s important for all ages, and especially for families to play together—that intergenerational play is really important too.”
