Healthy children goal of fair

String one, eat one, two, three, or maybe four.

For Jordynn Haumea-Thronas, that was the formula for stringing lei using a length of yarn and cereal at the Parent/Child Fair Saturday at the Kukui Grove shopping center.

Hosted by the Child and Family Service, the activity booth was popular among the youngsters who found a creative way to work in a snack while creating something they could take with them.

“This is the eighth year we’re doing this,” said Anna Peters, a Good Beginnings representative who also wore the hat of the Children’s Justice Center for the event.

Coming off a successful CJC open house to bring awareness to child abuse during Child Abuse Awareness Month, the Parent/Child Fair brought together community representatives who offer services and information on getting youngsters off to a healthy start.

Children were treated to a variety of activities including the lei-making, creating Mother’s Day cards, and even creating a friend using various cutouts.

For Jonelle Kaohelaulii, the marketing director for Kukui Grove, the Parent/Child Fair came on the heels of the mall’s Earth Day presentation by Miss Kaua‘i on Friday night.

One of the new programs making its appearance at the event, Hi‘ilani by the Kamehameha Schools is an early childhood family education program that serves children prenatal to 36 months of age and their families.

Hi‘ilani recognizes that a child’s first three years are a critical time during which they start the development of emotional stability, physical health and development, cognitive skills, problem-solving skills and social competence.

Small group classes that focus on tools and techniques that promote pre-school readiness through positive parent-child interactions is the focus of Hi‘ilani whose offices are located on Jerves Street in Lihu‘e.