Blake Bowen and Carter Swanson, both 4, from Lynmore Playcentre show how it's done. Photo / Supplied
Blake Bowen and Carter Swanson, both 4, from Lynmore Playcentre show how it's done. Photo / Supplied
Lynmore Playcentre is encouraging families to explore the Redwoods Forest on a giant treasure hunt fundraiser this weekend.
The Father's Day FunQuest will run on Sunday from 9.30am. It is sponsored by Whittaker's with chocolate giveaways and raffles to win a Redwood Butchery meat pack or a Redwoods Treewalk Day & Night Family Combo to raise money for Lynmore Playcentre renovations.
Lynmore Playcentre and Orienteering Bay of Plenty member Erin Swanson has run major international orienteering events and has set up the Father's Day FunQuest using Orienteering Bay of Plenty's map of the Redwoods at a level suitable for young families.
"Doing an orienteering event like this is basically a giant treasure hunt," she says.
"I love seeing the excitement and joy on children's faces when they find a checkpoint and clip their clip card.
"It's so much fun exploring the forest and the cool mystery activities we've created make it even more exciting.
"Originally, we wanted to run the event as an Easter egg hunt but unfortunately the first Covid-19 lockdown prohibited this, so we'd love to see families getting out and having a fun adventure on Father's Day.
"We have organised the event to run safely under Covid-19 level 2 restrictions."
The FunQuest is rogaine-style where people can choose which checkpoints (worth 10 points each) to visit, in their own order. There will be 20 checkpoints in total and it is recommended participants choose at least one checkpoint per child's year of age: a 5-year-old would have five checkpoints. Four mystery activities (worth 20 points each) will be suitable for all ages - with harder options for older kids.
Rotorua Redwoods. Photo / File
After participants have spent as long as they like enjoying the challenge, they can return to registration to get a sticker and chocolate giveaway from Whittaker's.
The course can take 30 minutes to an hour to complete, based on what options are taken.
Lynmore Playcentre president Hayley Bowen says the money raised will be used to renovate and upgrade the playcentre kitchen, storage and office spaces.
"Cooking and baking is such a wonderful learning experience and our tamariki love it, so to have a functional kitchen that is safe, inclusive and inviting is the end goal.
"Playcentre allows parents to stop doing jobs they would normally be doing at home and lets them focus on spending a morning supporting, encouraging and, best of all, playing with their children in a fun, child-led learning environment.
"A space like the kitchen is really popular with parents to engage with children for activities such as making slime, playdough, baking treats, cooking food for morning tea, preparing fruit and vegetables from the garden and more.
"We use all our kitchen scraps for compost and worm farms, which then go in our garden. The produce from the garden is then used in our cooking as well, showing children the cycle of food we eat in a wider context.
"We are excited to have a functional kitchen space in the future, which will encourage more of this activity and positive learning."
The details • What: Father's Day FunQuest • When: Sunday, September 6, start any time from 9.30am, finishing by 11.30am • Where: Rotorua Redwoods Forest • Cost: $10 per child, $20 maximum per family, registration: turn up on the day • For more information: tinyurl.com/FDQuest
