AUGUSTA -- The Augusta Civic Center became an indoor playground for youngsters Sunday for the 10th annual Kidfest.

The event, put on by the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel, attracted about 6,000 people, said Cindy Stevens, the newspapers' advertising director.

A good many of those people were babes in arms and occupants of strollers, backpacks, front packs and other carrying devices.

The children who could walk, climb, run and pet tiny animals had the most fun, beaming as they carried inflatable hammers, stuffed animals and long, thin balloon dogs around the center.

Kimberly Mills of Shawmut had to preserve the balloon animals, giant, sugar-filled Pixie sticks, and photos of her twins, Caleb and Christopher.

So she made a run to put the items in the car while their dad kept his eye on the red-haired boys.

It was the fourth year in a row at Kidfest for the Mills family.

The boys' favorite activity was jumping in an inflatable house.

Sienna Probert, 6, of Plymouth, started up the climbing wall, but opted to quit before reaching the top.

"It's too hard," she said. "They keep the harness too tight."

She agreed she would try another time. Her favorites were playing with the marbles and toys and playing Laser tag.

Many toddlers and other small children swarmed the exotic-animal area where 14 kids born this week and barely 12 inches tall wandered around on sawdust and tolerated gentle pats.

Ed Papsis of Pony X-press, Pony Rides and Exotic Animals of Winslow, said he expected to take home a few extra baby goats since many of the nanny goats were heavily pregnant and due very soon.

The shavings from the animal enclosure clung to the knees and pants of the children who knelt to hug and kiss the goats, including 2-year-old Peyton Hapworth of Clinton.

"We have a farm, so she's used to animals," said her mother, Laura Flood.

A kinkajou, toucan, two llamas, a miniature horse, ring-tailed lemur, a three-banded armadillo and two tortoises occupied separated areas.

Two alligators waited in a large, dark container, ready to pose for photos.

Entertainment was offered in rooms off the main auditorium.

In one, Andy Couture of Encore Bowling and Spare-Time Recreation set up two portable bowling alleys consisting of 24-foot-long rugs marked with circles for placement of the 10 pins and hash marks for pinpoint accuracy.

Children rolled a rubber bowling bowl into plastic pins, and cheered as the pins fell.

Couture and others helped replace the pins and roll the balls back up the lanes.

"These are actually for in-school bowling," he said.

"A lot of schools use these in phys-ed class to teach kids to bowl. It's one of the few lifetime activities."

He said bowlers can be as young as 2 and as old as 90-something.

Logan Testerman, 9, and his sister, Makenzie, 7, of Jefferson and Gardiner, waited in line for their first round of laser tag.

"I want to put on the stuff and chase him around," Makenzie said.

Logan said she would have a hard time. "Mostly I'm the fastest," he said.

The activities, put on with the aid of more than 80 volunteers and featuring more than 40 separate booths, ran until 5 p.m. Sunday.

Betty Adams -- 621-5631

badams@centralmaine.com