As a homeschooling family in Bacolod City, one of the setbacks here is that we do not have a lot of support going around from organizations for special events, unlike if you are in Manila. So it had been an ardent pursuit for my husband and I to find the right venues for our kids to learn, to grow, and to let their talents shine.

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Where there is an opportunity and we are able to make it, we would surely be right smack in the center of it. Yes, we are intentional in our homeschooling efforts and we try our best to bring the world within our children’s reach.

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Kidsville: Interactive Learning Fair at the Weekend Souk

Last Saturday, we were privileged to try out the first ever Kidsville, an interactive learning fair held at the Weekend Souk at The District North Point. It went for two days only–from August 15-16, 2015. It is their first run and Ms. Kitkat Cusi Lobaton of Gato Verde, organizer of the event, said that they are hoping to do this every quarter.

This was organized with partnership with T-mato‘s (Teacher-Made Toys) Gretchen Varela and MM Cusi (Ms. Kitkat’s sister) And we were thankful, too, that despite the rains leading to last weekend, we were blessed with pretty good weather that day to be able to enjoy all the activities.

Kidsville Mechanics

Participants to the Kidsville are issued a passport with coupons that will allow them access to the different booths and do different activities. Each coupon costs P75, but if you buy four (4) or eight (8), you can get them at discounted rates.

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The different booths have their own displays and offer different activities for the kids. Kiddie participants usually get freebies with their coupons, such as the crafts that they made, while others may require additional payments for optional items. You also get to buy the different items displayed at the fair at discounted rates.

How Long it Took

We started around 1pm, just after lunch, while there were not too many kids yet. I think we were among the few first customers of the fair. And it was great because I was able to take good shots without too many people blocking the view.

Dindin was able to take part in seven of the activity booths while we reserved our last coupon for the photo booth as a keepsake of our fun-filled afternoon.

Shane just played mostly, went around for the interactive storytelling time, and joined in the fun during the junior firefighters time with the Chamber Volunteer Fire Brigade. But mostly, she just followed whatever her older sister did. Nevertheless, she had her own kind of fun and learning, too.

Kidsville in Photos

Here is our afternoon in photos at the Kidsville at the Weekend Souk.

It was 2pm when Dindin finished with her T-shirt design and it was getting hot. We decided to cool off inside the Ayala mall with some refreshments. Mama and Papa also needed their afternoon coffee break. When we went back after 30 minutes.

The Chamber Volunteer Fire Brigade

Kids got to meet the unsung heroes who brave fires just to save lives and property. These are the men of the Chamber Volunteer Fire Brigade of Bacolod City.

Other Attractions

There were free areas at Kidsville, too, like the Bounce area and the motorized cars. We let Dindin play at the Bounce area for about 10 minutes because she felt she had to because it’s there. haha We were already tired, but ok fine. There were still other booths but we chose the ones that gave the most value to our kids.

Time Well Spent with Family

Hubby and I were so tired after going with the kids from 10:30am to around 6pm but it was time well spent. It was both a fun and educational time for Dindin and Shane and it was an experience worth sharing.

Definitely worth coming back to when they are going to hold another Kidsville in three months. We look forward to these activities while homeschooling in Bacolod.