While Halloween creates scary and eerie themes, it is an important time of the year to the Harrisburg Area YMCA! Every year, our branches love instilling this spooky day into their YMCA Halloween childcare activities, including:
- Our East Shore branch held its 5th Annual Floating Pumpkin Patch. This activity allows children of all ages to pick a pumpkin out of the pool, swim, play games, and enjoy Halloween-themed snacks!
- Our West Shore branch held its Halloween at the Y event, a community celebration that includes prizes, snacks, and spookiness!
- The Camp Curtin YMCA held a Harvest Party, an autumn-themed event with face painting, games, dancing, and more!
Social Development
All of these experiences continue to aid Harrisburg area youth by optimizing their creativity and building their socialization skills. Also, programs like these at the YMCA help nurture the potential of every child that comes through our doors. We understand the uniqueness of youth and we strive to provide for all kinds. Celebrate Halloween the Y-way and stay safe (but have fun, too)!
Social development is tied to a myriad of other parts of your child’s development, which is why these opportunities to socialize are so critical. Socializing your child helps jumpstart their sense of self, a mindfulness that carries well into adulthood. In turn, community events that the YMCA puts on for its youth may seem to just keep your child busy for a few hours, but the benefits of these bouts of business are important developmental tools. Each interaction your child has helped them learn language skills, emotional awareness, and societal norms. Not only that, but it can help ease the transition into your child’s schooling!
David’s Story
The YMCA holds a purpose to guide your child in a positive and nurturing direction through our promise of Youth Development. Through our plethora of childcare programs, we want to extend our reach to every dimension of our community. “Parents worry about the decisions they make for their kids,” reads Y-USA on its Youth Development mission. “For David, enrolling his sons in the YMCA’s afterschool programs was one of the best things he has ever done.” For more Y Stories, click here.
–Madeline Kelly, Digital Communications Coordinator
