A steady parade of families made their way through the first North Penn Under Ten Preschool Expo on Saturday, gathering information on a variety of educational, musical, movement and athletic programs for their children as they went. If you're already a fan on Facebook, then you may have seen some of the many photos we took that day. (If you're not, take a quick second to remedy that right now! You'll get info on last-minute closings, re-scheduled event details, and sneak peeks at things like photos and event announcements... hint, hint!)
As they entered, families were given their goody bags. (Thank you to Gymboree Play & Music of Montgomeryville for providing the useful and colorful bags!) Those bags had quite a lot inside them, too! Thanks to North Penn Pediatric Dental Associates for providing dental hygenine packs to the first fifty children! North Penn Under Ten also stuffed at random several goody bags with a gift card or another fun prize. We hope all of the recipients enjoy them! 
In the main hall, exhibiting schools distributed equal parts information and fun! From cute little stuffed bears to fresh Philly pretzels, there was something for everyone to appreciate. In the middle of the hall, the Music Training Center entertained and engaged the group with lively vocal and acoustic guitar performances while Smiley the Clown happily fulfilled balloon art requests. The balloon sword seemed to be a very popular one!
As families made thier way back out into the entry hall, they were invited to take sample bottles of Zeigler's Apple Cider with them - YUM! Thank you to Amy Purcell and the Zeigler's team for this delicious addition to the day!
New York Life Insurance representative, Brian Kuhns, told me they created three dozen free child ID kits in those three hours! The Child IDs include the child's photo, digitally-scanned fingerprints, and emergency contact information. The ID is designed to be distributed to members of the family and placed in your wallet and in an easy-to-find place in your home in the event that your child were to go missing. The families of thirty-six North Penn children are now better prepared for the unthinkable. This wonderful service will be provided again at the next North Penn Under Ten event...which will be announced this week! (Although, anyone who attended the expo may have already noticed a little green spoiler flyer in their goody bag!)
The Little Gym and Milestones in Music kept children entertained with music and fun while they waited for their free child ID kits to be completed. Judy Jones of Milestones in Music shared a new album produced by a colleague of hers, providing a cheerful musical backdrop to the entry hall and, to quote one parent, The Little Gym brought "the A Team", Miss Gretchen and Miss Jen, who enjoyed visiting with current and former students alike. 
No visit was complete without a stop at the Gymboree Play and Music table for a cheerful greeting from Miss Barb and sticker featuring the first clown my own children ever knew and loved, Gymbo!
About halfway through the expo, visitors and exhibitors alike were treated to a special, unplanned show from Hatfield Volunteer Fire Department when the station received a call! A crowd gathered to watch two large engines pull away. Thankfully, they returned safely just a short time later.
By 1:00, ninety-five goody bags had been handed out to North Penn families, and our donation bins for Stepping Stones Nursery School and the Stories for Seniors program had overflowed beyond our wildest imaginations. That photo to the left shows only half of the stuffed toys donated for "Stories for Seniors"!
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| Stepping Stones Donations |
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| "Stories for Seniors" Donations |
The day ended with lots of smiles. Parents appreciated how easy it was to learn about so many programs for their children all at once, schools appreciated the chance to share information with so many families all at once, and most of the children had so much fun, they didn't want to leave!
Thank you so much to all those who donated goods to these two wonderful causes, to all of the schools and centers without whose support this event never would have taken place, and thank you so much to all of the families that came to the expo! I hope you all had as much fun as I did!
Be sure to save the date for Saturday, January 5, 2013 for the 2nd Annual North Penn Under Ten Preschool Expo! :)
Please note that the 2nd annual Early Learning Expo (formerly called the Preschool Expo) will be held on Saturday, January 12th, 2013 (not the 5th as stated in this post). Hope to see you there!
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