Pandemic-era activity leads to Summer Fun Bins program

Lethbridge Sport Council partnered with Lethbridge Plays to give families an accessible, free, and fun new way to play this summer.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected our usual sport and recreation activities. Most were cancelled or modified. This resulted in many people participating less or differently in physical activity. While we believe everyone should experience quality sport, we also recognize that times like these call for creativity and a new way of thinking.

Lethbridge Sport Council values play for its link to physical activity and sport. Everyone should have opportunities to play.

Launched in July, Summer Fun Bins are large hockey bags full of simple objects from sponges and buckets to balls and pool noodles. They all encourage creativity and free play.

Add a little imagination, and classic games like foosball and hopscotch will get your entire family up and moving. Using hula-hoops and beanbags, Tic-Tac-Toe becomes a fun and active game.

To help you get started each bin comes with a list of 50 activities.

The Summer Fun Bins can be borrowed free of charge. Families pick up the bins Thursday and bring them back on Tuesday. When the bins are returned, they are cleaned and sanitized for the next family.

Summer Fun Bins will keep children and families busy with endless amounts of fun.

The Lethbridge Plays website has a variety of games with instructions for families to play using the items in the bin. To reserve a Summer Fun Bin visit https://www.lethbridgeplays.ca/

Lethbridge Plays is a group of local stakeholders brought together by the unifying benefits of play to individuals and community. City Council adopted the Lethbridge Play Charter in 2018. Today organizations, local businesses, parents, and individuals work together to make play a priority in Lethbridge.

The Lethbridge Sport Council supports organizations and initiatives that improve health and wellness through sport, physical activity, and active recreation. To find out more about their programming visit https://lethbridgesportcouncil.ca/