Preschool parent group rings in 50 years with children’s fair, Safety Town fund

by Stefanie Watson

Hudson Preschool Parents, a local nonprofit for families with children birth through kindergarten, is gearing up to celebrate its golden anniversary in two very special ways.

The group is best known for the annual spring children’s fair – a fun-filled event with 50+ local community organizations and businesses hosting booths with information for parents and exciting experiences for kids. This year’s event will be held on Saturday, April 22, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

“We are anticipating our largest fair in years, in terms of vendors and raffle items, and hope turnout follows suit,” said HPP President Amy Andrews. “A lot of fun extras have been planned for children that visit the fair this year in celebration of our 50th anniversary, including a dance party, face painting and bounce house.”

Also, as part of the 50th celebration, each family attending the children’s fair will be gifted two tickets to either the face painting or bounce house activities.  And proceeds from the event will be donated to the Hudson Preschool Parents 50th Anniversary Fund to construct and maintain a new, permanent Safety Town facility at McDowell Early Learning School.

Offered during the summer through Hudson Community Education and Recreation, Kiwanis Safety Town is a tradition for incoming Hudson kindergarteners to learn essential safety lessons in a fun and interactive way. Topics like road safety, safe playground equipment usage, stranger danger and bus procedures are taught through games, songs and play. 

Currently, there is no dedicated space for it in Hudson and ongoing learning is a challenge.

“The most notable difference of the new safety town will be the permanence of the structures and features, which will remain on the McDowell playground year-round,” Andrews explained.

The planned Safety Town exhibit, renderings of which will be available later in April, will include Hudson-themed buildings and shops, roadways and crosswalks, street and traffic signs, and working traffic signals.  Students will be able to use the new exhibit during their recess times, furthering the learning experiences established at the summer’s Safety Town session.

Inclusive features are to be incorporated as well. “We hope to include interactive features for children to explore, such as house numbers with braille, a pedestrian signal that chirps or speaks at the crosswalk [similar to what children would encounter along Main Street in town] and a doorbell to ring,” Andrews said.

Intervention specialists at McDowell will be able to utilize the facility for special needs students, allowing children to touch, play and explore during their school day, according to Andrews.

She said the Safety Town plan is part of HPP’s renewed commitment to community service.

To learn more about the children’s fair or 50th Anniversary Fund, visit hudsonpreschoolparents.org. ∞

Featured Photo: Kids cuddle up with their stuffies at Hudson Preschool Parents 2022 Children’s Fair. The annual event returns on Saturday, April 22, with distinctive features and a special fund in honor HPP’s golden anniversary.