Cape's family-friendly events a big hit for parents and children

The pictures tell the story.

In one, a father is dressed in a suit and tie. His daughter, probably around the age of 9, is dressed in a long, midnight-blue dress, her cheek resting against her father's chest. The father is kissing the girl on the head as other father's and daughters dance in the background.

In another photo, a father holds his daughter off the floor, her arms around his neck. The girl has a big red bow in her hair, and she's looking off to the side, a mile-wide grin stretched across her face. In another, a girl, named Isabella, in a yellow princess dress sits on her knees at a table, smiling as her father, Dustin, dressed in a vest and tie, has her undivided attention.

The City of Cape Girardeau's parks and recreation department hit a home run with this annual event, the father-daughter dance held at the Osage Centre. The photos make us smile every year.

The parks department also holds a special event for moms and sons -- game night. This event lets moms and boys get loud and active, whether it be bouncing around in the bounce slide, mixing it up as part of relay races or even playing soccer. This event was held at the Cape Girardeau SportsPlex this year, which really allowed space for all sorts of fun activities.

These are two wonderful family friendly events. Kudos to the city for putting them on. We love to see families coming together for quality time, and these events give families a reason and opportunity to get out of the house and make memories.