Wonderkids in Candyland
Her tee shirt says it all. She loves candy. So when Wonderkids asked if we would like to cover their Candyland event, it didn’t take much convincing. We were THERE!
Located at the DL, a 3-floor venue in the lower east side of Manhattan, costumed characters paraded in dressed creatively as their favorite candy. The organizers “strongly encourage” creative costuming. We saw people simply dressed with candy haphazardly taped to their colorful shirts to a man who took the theme to another level dressing head to toe as Willy Wonka! Eye candy was everywhere! Doughnut leggings on one mom, a splash of rainbow swirls all over one child, and then… this pastel-hued lady with the cotton candy hat. LOVED HER!
Oh my! I wanted her whole costume for next Halloween! But alas, it’s one of a kind of course, given she painstakingly hand-made it herself!
The event bills itself as a “creative dance experience where kids and parents celebrate life, self-expression, music, dance, creativity and community.” I found it to be a place where Burning Man fanatics grow up and party with their kids. It had sort of a bohemian vibe, the house music rocked, and I got the feeling that all the hippie flower child inspired looks came straight out of these guests’ normal wardrobes.
Whatever the style, the kids had fun! Juliet enjoyed making a bead necklace with me, posing with a gigantic gingerbread man cookie, testing out her hula hoop skills, and finding sweets along the way.
What a magical sweet world it was!
My favorite and most inspirational sighting was this giant cake. The community was encouraged to help decorate it and I just thought what a brilliant crafting activity to have at a future birthday party! All you would need is cardboard, paper to wrap it with and items to decorate it with (think stickers, play doh, scrapbook paper cutouts, glitter glue, etc). Juliet happily stationed herself here for quite some time!
The 3 hour party had a lively tone and we happily explored each and every corner, dancing our way throughout. You could event paint along to the music!
Thanks to Wonderkids for this wildly imaginative way to spend a Saturday! This is why I love NY. There are so many amazing, artsy and fun things for families to discover and make memories from. I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend! Happy Saturday!
Disclaimer – We were given 3 complimentary tickets to review the event but as always the opinions expressed are 100% my own.
