Ohio State students should expect to see more children than usual in the next few days for the 2010 Sibs Weekend.

This is the 14th year that OSU has dedicated a weekend to siblings, and Ryan Lovell, director of Parent and Family Programs, said he believes it is a weekend that strengthens relationships between college students and their families.

“Sibs Weekend allows those loved ones to meet college friends or colleagues, share in experiences and see the campus environment that a student or staff member now calls home,” Lovell said.

Opportunities for families to connect with one another and OSU are important to the success of our students and our university, he said.

Events for Sibs Weekend are planned throughout campus for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The weekend kicks off with a “Welcome Night” on Friday at the Ohio Union.

Many new events are planned for this year that incorporate the new Union, including dance classes, cooking classes and a movie night.

University President E. Gordon Gee and Brutus will be having a meet-and-greet Saturday, and later that night, Jack Hanna and friends will also be at the Union to present an interactive show about wildlife.

Lovell said these new events appeal to older students.

“We’ve made an effort to move from many of the arts and craft type activities to more involved programming … to better address that a majority of the students who come are ages 14 to 17,” Lovell said.  “When speaking with student organizations and campus
departments, we wanted to be sure to offer events both for younger and older sibs who may be here for the weekend.”

One event geared toward younger students, which Lovell said has been a Sibs Weekend favorite, is the Laugh Olympics, put on by the Student Alumni Council. Students and their siblings can come to the South Oval Sunday to participate in face-painting, water balloon throwing, races and more.

Registration for Sibs Weekend is free and available online now at the Parent and Family Programming website. Each person who registers online gets a free Sibs Weekend 2010 T-shirt. So far, Lovell said 1,400 people have registered, up from the 900 people that registered online last year.

Walk-up registrations will be accepted at Sibs Weekend check-in Friday and Saturday morning in the Ohio Union. However, these students and siblings might not get a free T-shirt.

Siblings don’t necessarily have to be brothers or sisters. Students are encouraged to invite any children they are close to, including cousins, neighbors, nieces, nephews and friends.

To register and learn more about Sibs Weekend, visit parent.osu.edu.