First Kids’ Night Out a hit

The final hours of 2005 in Spokane were counted down by the pounding of drums by hundreds of kids.

The city’s newest percussionists swarmed downtown streets and sidewalks with their parents Saturday after making and decorating their instruments at Kids’ Night Out.

Kids’ Night Out is part of First Night Spokane geared to younglings like Sonja Marikis, 7, who along with her father, Scott, played a bucket drum with her cut-out name pasted on it.

“It’s good to see a party for New Year’s Eve that involves the children,” he said.

After celebrating the start of 2005 at First Night last year, Chris Dietzel, her husband and four kids decided to celebrate the end of 2005 by volunteering at the percussion-making event.

“We loved it so much,” Dietzel said. “That’s why we decided to volunteer.”

She said about 350 kids made drums from plastic buckets. Others made drums from coffee cans, crafted oblong African drums or designed sticks that could simulate the sound of rain.

A few blocks away, the Wolsborn children were doing their own things. The youngest was enjoying a slide, while the older boys put final touches on grocery bag hats fit for royalty.

Jordyn Wolsborn, 5, and her dad, Tim, made a kaleidoscope.

“Wow, that’s pretty,” Jordyn exclaimed when she got her first glimpse through the cardboard cylinder.

After three hours of making drums and masks and necklaces and crowns and hats, the children gathered to parade their work, which was decorated with lightning bolts, stripes, hearts, names, stars and more shapes then ever contemplated by the makers of Lucky Charms.

“It’s great to have something for the kids to do. It’s awesome,” said Danelle Carr who came with her husband and five kids. “There aren’t that many other places you can go on New Year’s Eve as a family.”