Bring Families Together
Help neighbors meet, build relationships and enjoy shared activities for children and parents.
FOR COMMUNITIES
Family Expos for
Family Expos for
Communities.
Bring families, local businesses, educators and community organizations together through shared experiences. Family Expos can be tailored for municipalities, residential communities, neighborhood associations and community centers.
FAMILY EXPO FORMAT
The Program Includes
Family Expos connect children and parents with opportunities to learn, create, discover and participate. The program can be adapted to your community, local partners, available space and seasonal calendar.
- Children's Business Fair
- Goods, Services and Technologies for Kids
- Family Activity & Entertainment Zones
- Startups for Children
- Educational and Cultural Programs
- Career Fair in Children's Organizations
- Contests, Workshops and Interactive Activities
- Sponsorship and Partnership Opportunities
CREATED FOR YOUR COMMUNITY
Build an event around your community.
Create a standalone gathering or a recurring seasonal event that reflects local interests and brings families together.
ADVANTAGES
Value for the Community.
Give residents reasons to connect, help families discover local opportunities and create a shared experience with lasting community value.
Activate Shared Spaces
Bring community centers, clubhouses, parks and gathering places to life through learning and play.
Support Local Businesses
Invite local businesses and service providers to demonstrate their work, lead activities and meet families.
Attract New Family Residents
Give prospective residents a chance to experience the community, meet neighbors and discover local programs, helping families picture their future here.
Share Community Stories
Highlight young entrepreneurs, local talent and community initiatives through newsletters and local media.
Community Partnerships
Strengthen relationships with schools, public agencies, nonprofits, businesses and family-service organizations.
Create Opportunities for Children
Give children a place to present ideas, try new activities, build confidence and learn by doing.
Seasonal Programming
Build a calendar of family experiences around community milestones, school breaks and seasonal celebrations.
COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
Engaging Community Stakeholders.
Bring together the people and organizations that shape family life in your community. Each partner can contribute activities, expertise, resources or support that makes the Expo more valuable for local families.
- Schools and educators: learning activities, demonstrations and student projects.
- Local businesses: products, services, hands-on experiences and sponsorship.
- Community organizations and nonprofits: family resources, outreach and volunteer opportunities.
- Municipalities and public agencies: community programs, information and resident engagement.
- Clubs, cultural groups and recreation providers: workshops, performances and activities.
- Residents and young entrepreneurs: ideas, business projects and participation in the Children's Business Fair.
Create the Expo Together.
Connect local stakeholders around experiences that reflect your community's interests and priorities.
ORGANIZER & RESPONSIBILITIES
A Turnkey Event Partner.
The event is organized by the Kid-Friendly World Foundation, a nonprofit, tax-exempt Section 501(c)(3) organization and a member of ICSC.
Kid-Friendly World coordinates:
- Event concept, program and activity coordination
- Participant, exhibitor, sponsor and partner recruitment
- Promotion and community outreach
- Coordination with schools and young entrepreneurs
- Event-day hosting and operational management
- Insurance and applicable event compliance
- Layout, logistics, safety and coordination with the community host
BOOKS
Ideas Behind Better Family Places.
Two practical publications explore family-friendly destinations, play, development and the design of better family experiences.
BOOK
Kid-Friendly World
Ideas for making communities, destinations, events and experiences more welcoming for children and families.
Find on Amazon ↗
PRACTICAL GUIDE
How to Build the Best Activity Park
A practical guide to strategy, design, operations and growth for family-entertainment projects.
Read the content ↗SELECTED RESEARCH
Research for Family Destinations.
Six selected articles examine play, family value, repeat visitation, destination design and the future of family entertainment.
The Importance of Family Entertainment Centers and Family Events for Communities
Family entertainment centers and family events are often treated as leisure amenities, but research suggests they can play a broader role in community development. Communities that want to attract new family residents and increase satisfaction among current residents need visible, accessible, and repeatable family experiences…
Read article ↗
The Neuroscience of Play
Developmental science helps explain why children climb, jump, slide, explore and repeat—and how physical play can become even more valuable.
Read article ↗
Invest in the Parks of the Future
Family entertainment can move beyond novelty decay and static attractions toward an adaptive, development-rich model built for repeat visitation.
Read article ↗
What Parents Want from Family Entertainment Centers
Parents describe how affordability, multi-age value, comfort, shared experiences, food, safety and changing reasons to return influence loyalty.
Read article ↗
The Family Entertainment Park of the Future
The next generation of parks can evolve from fixed attraction venues into adaptive family experience platforms.
Read article ↗
Novelty Decay: Why Children Get Bored
An attraction can remain mechanically perfect while becoming psychologically old. Learn how parks can create something new without constantly replacing equipment.
Read article ↗Explore all publications and research.
Visit the complete NY Family EXPO publications collection.
CONTACT
Discuss Hosting Opportunities.
Tell us about your community and what you would like to achieve. Explore a Family Expo for your residents, local organizations and families.