Super Summer Fun at Cartoon Network's Toonfest 2015

Cartoon Network’s ToonFest returned for its second year, bringing the ultimate end-of-summer party.

The event was a colorful festival that transformed parts of the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay into a vibrant celebration filled with music, cheering crowds of around 3,000 enthusiastic fans, lights, cameras, and action, serving as the perfect backdrop for the number one kids’ channel in the Philippines.

When it comes to my kids’ favorite channel, Cartoon Network is truly the best, bar none. As I’ve mentioned in my previous posts, in our household, my kids (ages 10, 7, and 6) only watch cartoons on Cartoon Network, nothing else.

I remember bringing my kids to a similar event a few years ago, though it was held in a much smaller venue despite the large crowd, which I felt wasn’t ideal. Thankfully, this time it was held at the SM MOA Music Hall, which is spacious and definitely more suitable for handling such a big audience and major event.

We arrived as early as 10 a.m. to avoid the crowd and the usual heavy EDSA traffic, but when we got there, there was already a long line waiting.

There I was, trying to be a good citizen of the Earth, patiently waiting for our turn at the registration booth. Thankfully, things worked out in our favor—God was really good to us and provided a separate line for the media.

Lovin’ ToonFest 2015 as it returned as a summer camp-inspired festival based on Cartoon Network’s hit shows.

ToonFest 2015 featured so many awesome booths and activity areas that we truly enjoyed, including face painting, photo booth selfies, arts and crafts, and many more fun attractions. We also got to enjoy cotton candy and snow cones, which added to the festive feel of the event.

Some booths even gave away free vitamins and candies, making the experience even more exciting for both kids and parents.

My kids had an awesome time using the Nerf N-Strike Elite blasters from Hasbro and practicing their ultimate zombie survival skills.

This blaster delivers top-tier performance for any Nerf battle, it’s seriously one of the coolest things ever!

We’re already looking forward to getting these awesome toys for my son’s 7th birthday soon :)

Thanks to Freeze Frame booth, it allowed us to literally freeze the moment and keeping the memory for a long time.

The Arts and Crafts booth was a fun fun way to be creative with the kids. This allowed them, with their assistance, to create their very own Cartoon Network artwork.

 

My dream for my son is for him to grow up to be a good man and possibly acquire the skills of a great pilot. The United Airlines booth somehow brought that dream a little closer to reality, letting me experience, even just for a few seconds, what it feels like to have a pilot in the family.

It definitely made me feel even more inspired, and now I find myself really hoping he’ll pursue that path someday.

 

Still grateful to get prizes from this Wiggles booth even though they were too small for this kind of activity.

For this area, you don’t have to be an adventurer to beat those villains, just slingshot skills and you're good to go.

It was their first time to try being inside a huge bubble. It felt like they were in another world of some sort. I wanted to join them inside and really want to try this as well. Next time , please!

Guests also had the chance to meet and greet stars from popular hit series such as Adventure Time, Ben 10: Omniverse, and The Amazing World of Gumball.

There were also live musical acts, and participants happily danced and sang along to familiar Cartoon Network tunes, making the event even more energetic and memorable.

There were awesome games for the kids and unfortunately we weren't able to participate. My kids' energy levels dropped because of too much candies, I guess. LOL

This particular game was very heartwarming, I almost shed a tear.

The children were blindfolded and asked to find their mothers using only their sense of touch. The mothers were lined up, and one by one, each child gently touched the mothers’ hands, face, and hair, trying to find their own mom.

It was a touching reminder that there truly is an invisible bond between mothers and their children—something we don’t always fully understand until we see it unfold like this. I almost wish I had joined the activity just to see if my kids would recognize me… HAH!

 

They all get to take home goodies from the ever generous Cartoon Network. Let me remind you again that this event was FREE. SO, truly generous :)

Sadly, we weren’t able to join the meet-and-greet and photo opportunity with The Amazing World of Gumball. The line was simply too long, and the meet-and-greet was limited to members of the press.

We goofed around a bit wearing our Jake glasses while waiting for our lunch to be served. I could honestly wear these glasses every day, especially during events—yeah!

It was indeed the perfect send-off to a hot summer, and I believe my kids learned a lot from each activity.

It was all about being in the midst of so much energy and excitement, sometimes exhilarating, sometimes a bit intimidating, even discouraging at times, but always challenging. It was an amazing privilege to be part of this year’s ToonFest, and I’m sure many participants (myself included) are already looking forward to next year’s event.

Cartoon Network ToonFest 2015 was supported by Wiggles, Johnson’s Active Fresh; in participation with Swift Mighty Meaty and Nerf; and made possible by Appebon, Argentina Meat Loaf, and Jollibee. Special thanks to Cignal, SM Mall of Asia, and GrabTaxi.

For more details, visit the Cartoon Network ToonFest 2015: Philippines event page on Facebook or CartoonNetworkAsia.com.