SacMomsClub.com

This year Fairytale Town celebrates its 50^th Anniversary! Looking back, it’s easy to see how visionary the founders of Fairytale Town were. They must be proud to have built a place that holds such fond memories for so many people. Fairytale Town is truly a magical place, and one of the landmarks that makes Sacramento a unique and special place to live, work and play.

So much has changed since Fairytale Town opened its doors in 1959. That same year, the Barbie doll was launched, and Alaska and Hawaii became part of the United States. A gallon of gas was 25 cents, and a loaf of bread (probably not whole wheat) was 20 cents. Manned moon landings were still the stuff of fiction, and desktop computers had yet to replace adding machines and manual typewriters. 

Of course, some things remain constant. Communities still need safe places for families and friends to congregate and have common experiences; families still need places to spend quality time with their children; and, most importantly, children still need fairytales, and the chance to play.  

Albert Einstein one said that smart children needed fairytales… and brilliant children needed more fairytales. The benefits of free, spontaneous play date back through recorded history and include writings from some of the most celebrated philosophers of all time, including Plato and Aristotle. Play builds children’s brains and through it they learn about themselves and the world around them.

Grown ups need fairytales and playtime too. Not just to connect (and re-connect) with their children, but also to help, relax, unwind, and gain new perspectives on what is going on in their own busy lives and this ever-changing world in which we live.

So now that spring has sprung, remember to take time out for fairytales and family fun!  Read some stories with your child, and come on over to play at Fairytale Town - the areas only fairytale park – like Sacramento families have for 50 years. It could be the most important work you do!

Kathy Fleming

Executive Director, Fairytale Town

Kathy is the mother of two teen-aged children. She often tells the young mothers at Fairytale Town that most things get easier as children get older!