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Rec Center offers Parents’ Night Out

Children’s event set for Jan. 27

By Angie Landsverk


The Waupaca Recreation Center will host its first ever Parents’ Night Out from 5-10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27.

On that night, the center will be open only to children who are ages 4 through 10.

Parents may drop their children off there, pay $5 per child, receive a coupon for a discount at two downtown restaurants, then head to one of them or elsewhere for a date night.

“A lot of our ideas come from looking at what works in other communities,” said Parks and Recreation Director Aaron Jenson.

Sandy Abraham, a member of Waupaca’s youth center staff, wants to bring new ideas to the center on Friday and Saturday nights, he said.

Last year, Rocky Mondello hosted a trivia night at the rec center. Mondello is a teacher at Waupaca Middle School.

Parents’ Night Out is the second new idea the center is offering.

The rec center is typically open until 11 p.m. on Friday nights.

Jenson said it will close an hour earlier than usual on Parents’ Night Out.

The center’s staff decided to close it at 10 p.m. that night due to the ages of the children who will be in attendance.

On most Friday nights, students in sixth through tenth grades are at the rec center, Jenson said.

The center will not be open to children age 11 and older when Parents’ Night Out is held.

“This is getting the younger kids in there on a weekend,” he said. “It gives an opportunity for parents to enjoy some time downtown or somewhere else and for kids to have some fun as well.”

Parents who decide to participate in Parents’ Night Out will not have to provide a meal for their children before taking them to the rec center.

The children will be fed a meal at the center.

They will also be separated into different age groups and supervised.

Jenson said there will be three age groups: ages 4 and 5, ages 6 and 7 and ages 8, 9 and 10.

Carousel Gymnastics, which offers classes at the rec center, will allow some of their equipment to be available for activities.

That will take place in the center’s exercise room and will be geared toward the younger children, Jenson said.

The parents who participate in Parents’ Night Out will receive a coupon for 20 percent off at either Weasels or Paca Pub.

Only those who take their children to the rec center that night will receive the 20 percent off coupons for Paca Pub or Weasels.

T-Dub’s Public House will support the event by providing a cheese and sausage platter for the children who are at the rec center.

Jenson said he focused on working with downtown restaurants for this event due to their proximity to the rec center.

“If others want to get involved in future events, we would be happy to have that conversation,” he said.

The rec center staff already has another idea in mind.

“Another thing we want to do is a father/daughter date night in the future,” Jenson said.

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