Marywood University on Saturday held its annual “Kidstuff” carnival at the first floor of the Nazareth Student Center. The carnival invited underprivileged children from the area to come and enjoy a day filled with activities and games.

“Kidstuff carnival is an annual fair held at Marywood University for underprivileged children. The carnival is an initiative by Marywood University and United Neighborhood and Friends of the Poor,” said sophomore nursing major Nadine Burton, who was also one of the chair organizers of the event.

Each year’s carnival has a particular theme. While last year’s theme was ‘To Infinity and Beyond,’ the organizers this year decided to go with ‘Under the Sea.’ The entire floor was filled with sea inspired decor, including giant murals of fish and blue balloons made to look like bubbles under water.

The activities were also themed where children could make their own jellyfish using paper plates and crepe paper. Children could also make their turtles using recycled material. The food included cookies with blue frosting, cotton candy and lots of Swedish Fish and Goldfish.

Each child present at the event was assigned a “buddy” who would escort them around the space and help them do activities and participate in games. These “buddies” were Marywood University students who signed up to volunteer and help out with the event.

“All of the activities are so much fun! I love the giant shark,” said five-year-old Jahmir Lawrence.

The carnival that has been around for 25 years always has a significant amount of volunteers who sign up to help organize the event and be ‘buddies’ with children who attend.

“This is my first time doing Kidstuff,” said junior speech pathology major Faith Harrison. “I love kids and that’s why I signed up to do this.” Harrison added that most societies and clubs on campus had their own table at the carnival with activities for the children.

“For example, the multicultural club was hand painting the children’s names in Chinese for them to take as a souvenir,” she said.

Sophomore art therapy major Robyn Haines said that the event was extremely “special” to her because her sorority works with humanitarian work for children.

“This event is a great initiative and I’m extremely happy that I am a part of it. I love working with children and that is why I joined Alpha Sigma Psi, that mainly deals with children’s issues,” she said.

The event lasted from 12 to 3 p.m. and, on their way out, the children were handed special goody bags filled with treats to take home.

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