Photo by LANCE SHEARER // Buy this photo
Ethan Fabin hangs out with his buddy Brady Magee. Marco Island's Parks & Rec dept. turned Mackle Park into Santa's Workshop Saturday morning, giving over 30 kids a chance to make some holiday keepsakes. Lance Shearer/Eagle Correspondent
Not all Christmas gift production happens at the North Pole. Santa’s Workshop opened up an annex at Mackle Park on Saturday morning, giving over 30 youngsters the chance to create some homemade holiday keepsakes sure to thrill their families.
The city’s parks and recreation department’s recreation manager Mindy Matusiak and staff dressed as Santa’s helpers, leading the children through a brisk schedule of crafts projects. Parks & Rec’s Lola Dial added boots to her outfit, the better to walk through any deep snow that appeared. Glitter dusted the floor in the community room, and the crew worked in front of a roaring fire, crackling on the big-screen TV.
The first undertaking was decorating bags, the better to hold all the other goodies. Then, the kids painted plastic tree ornaments, and made some out of macaroni. They covered Christmas scenes with an assortment of stickers, made gingerbread men, and decorated candy canes with tissue paper.
Most of the parents dropped the offspring off, and headed out. That, said Matusiak, was the idea.
“The parents can go and get some Christmas shopping done” without being observed, she said. But one mother, Debbie Popick, hung around all morning to help Alexis, age four “and a half” with her projects.
“I’m the only mom here, but I think I’m having more fun than anyone,” said Debbie Popick.
The kids moved onto building snowmen from Styrofoam cups and balls, but they could barely wait for the final project, the piece de resistance – the gingerbread house. Bowls of M&Ms, gumdrops, red licorice, marshmallow men, peppermints and sprinkles, plus graham crackers for the walls, lay temptingly displayed, making it difficult to stay on task. A dozen cans of Pillsbury Creamy Supreme Classic White Frosting were there to help hold it all together.
The builders were sent to wash their hands before dealing with the edible items, and if a few decorations took a detour and got consumed, they were eaten with sanitized hands. Each child went home with an impressive array of handmade gifts.
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