Over 50 parents took their children Tuesday night to Coaldale-based Head Start's groovy-themed Family Fun Night. From 4:30 to 6 p.m., children colored, glued and beaded pictures before strolling through the book fair in the old high school's gym.

"It is a way for parents to get involved with their children in the center setting," said center administrator Tara Stauffenberg.Local agencies set up tables with resource information beside the rows of books. Agency Aetna Health provided insurance information to parents and brought a giant set of teeth to demonstrate proper brushing, while St. Luke's Health Network brought fruit-infused water with information on healthy eating. Teachers and Head Start staff wore tie-dyed shirts while conducting the crafts with children ages 2 and up."It's important to get families involved in children's education," Stauffenberg said. "It's important to get the community engaged. We are working to connect them with resources in the community."Family Fun Night is held twice a year for the families served by Head Start, once in the fall and once in the spring."We came to the last family fun day and the kids really enjoyed it," said parent Ashley Corson. Corson's son Jayden, 4, attends the school.Head Start operates on "in-kind hours," federally matched dollars based on anyone who volunteers time at the center. "So in other words, anytime they come into the center and either volunteer their time or come to an activity we have they sign in kind forms which get tallied and turned in monthly. We need parent involvement to be successful and this is a fun way to get them involved.""I think it's great. It's a fun time for the kids," said Lansford resident and parent Jason Westwood.The next family night will take place at the beginning of the 2016-17 school year in September.For more information on Head Start or to enroll a child in the program, call 570-645-7578.