Families were treated to free events organised by Greenfields Community Housing.
A fun day was held at the Glebe Community Hall in Braintree where about 50 children took part in arts and crafts, including decorating their own T-shirt or bag to take away, cake and biscuit decorating, tile painting and loom banding.
They took part in an outdoor treasure hunt, with a free ice cream as a prize.
Another fun day was held in Stoneham Street, Coggeshall, which included bouncy castles and a slide, ridesand games.
It raised £240 for Farleigh Hospice.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here