Every year in early October, this incredible event returns — and 2026 marked its seventh edition! "Crazy NTPU Kids Take to the Streets" (瘋北大兒童上街趣) in Sanxia, New Taipei, closes two city blocks to traffic and transforms them into a massive pop-up playground for one day. If your family loves hands-on activities and unusual outdoor experiences, it is absolutely worth planning around. Admission is free, our child had a fantastic time, and we cannot wait to go back.
Contents
- What This Is
- Who It’s For
- What We Did
- Getting There
- Cost and Booking
- Why We Recommend It
- Crazy Lee Verdict
- FAQ
- Nearby Activities
- Sources
- Affiliate Disclosure
What This Is
Ever since we learned there’s an event like this every early October, we start watching for it in late September. On October 3, 2026 (Sat) we came back to the Beida community for the 7th 瘋北大兒童上街趣. Official hours are 1:00–5:00 pm, on Dayi Road (between Xueqin Road and Xuefu Road).
The idea is to give the street back to kids. Two roads are closed to traffic and filled with activities, including two buses children can paint, washable sidewalk chalk, extreme sports, a fire-truck experience, an outdoor zone, and a storytelling area. It is a refreshingly simple event that gives children room to explore and try things for themselves.
For organiser information and current announcements, follow the official FunBeida Street Play for Children Facebook page. We suggest adding a calendar reminder to check it in late September each year.
Who It’s For
It suits families with children from the later preschool years through the middle elementary grades who enjoy hands-on activities. If you want your child to participate actively and experience different materials — wood, a skateboard, water, and paint — this offers much more involvement than a sit-down ride.
What We Did
When we arrived, our child’s eyes lit up at the rows of activity booths, and the jumping started before we had even chosen a station. One afternoon was not enough to do everything. We saw tree climbing and an ice-pool walk but ran out of time, and our child was already saying, "We’re coming back next year."
Wood Chopping
This was one of the day’s most satisfying stops. The station provided logs in different sizes: adults split the larger pieces, while children worked on smaller ones. With a staff member supervising and cotton gloves protecting those small hands, our child split a piece in two or three swings and proudly announced, "It’s not even hard!"
Skateboard Coaching
The skateboard coach had a cool afro and plenty of patience. He started with a high-five and introduced himself to build trust, then held our child steady during practice. He broke down how to crouch into a turn, step on and off the board, push, and steer. Our child was nervous and ended up riding in a half-crouch, but still took that first step.
Bus Painting
Bus painting was the busiest station of the day. The activity itself is free, but you must use approved washable paint. The line to buy paint looked at least an hour long, and we did not want to spend so much of the afternoon waiting. Instead, we asked families who appeared to be finished — children cleaned up, paint left over — whether they would sell us the remainder. Luckily, one family agreed and sold it to us for half price. Once our child started painting, leaving became the hard part; the whole bus was a canvas.
Bus Washing
Near the end, they started hosing down the bus. Kids crowded in and jumped around, soaked from the spray, and the mood was electric — the highlight finish to the day.
Firefighter Experience
First the kids put on firefighter gear for a photo, then we moved to the fire-truck spray zone. Firefighters patiently showed the kids how to hold and aim the hose, and the kids could really feel how heavy it is. With the afternoon sun behind it, the water threw a rainbow and the kids gasped.
Earthquake Truck
We waited close to an hour for this one, four people at a time. Inside there are motion seats with a screen showing a living room, kitchen, elevator, and escape stairs — it feels convincing. The moment the shaking started, our kid dropped and covered — clearly the school earthquake drills stuck — and firefighters narrated on site.
Food
For lunch, we brought fish-ball egg-drop soup and tomato Bolognese pasta. We did not see any food stalls along the event route that day; buying food meant walking a street or two away. Packing lunch paid off and let our child refuel quickly between activities.
Getting There
You can drive or take public transportation to the Beida community. Dad drove us there, but our child requested a train ride home, so we took a WeMo shared scooter from near Beida to Yingge Station and continued to Taipei by train. In practice, the connection was easy.
You can also take the TRA train to Yingge Station, then transfer to a local bus or the Sanying MRT Line. The Sanying Line is now operating; check New Taipei Metro for current service information before traveling.
Cost and Booking
- Event cost: most of the event is free to join.
- Bus painting: the activity itself is free, but you need approved water-based / water-washable paint, either your own or bought on site.
- Kit info:
- Online pre-order kit (NT$499): Beleduc finger paint, a Beleduc pebble chalk set, Crayola washable paint and chalk, a brush, plus a pre-order-only bucket and waterproof bib.
- We also saw an NT$390 price on site, but we can’t confirm what each price covers, so we won’t guess — check the current year’s on-site notice.
- Washable sidewalk chalk sold on site: NT$50 per set (about 5–6 pieces).
These are 2026 on-site observations; for actual details and prices, check the current year’s notice.
Why We Recommend It
- Many experiences in one stretch: painting, fire, outdoor, and sports along the same road, so kids don’t get bored.
- They’re really involved: it isn’t a passive sit-and-watch event — kids are active participants, and the make-and-do ratio is very high.
- It sticks: the painted bus and the fire truck’s water are genuinely memorable for kids.
Crazy Lee Verdict
This is a good fit for families who enjoy hands-on play, like trying new things, and are happy to spend an afternoon moving slowly from station to station — especially those with children from the later preschool years through the middle elementary grades. The trade-offs: this is not an amusement park, popular stations such as the earthquake truck require patience, and food options along the event route may be limited. Our advice: pre-order the paint kit, bring food and water, choose clothes that can get messy, pack a change of clothes, and let the kids take over the street.
FAQ
Do we need tickets?
No general admission ticket is required, and most activities are free. Some experiences, including bus painting, require approved paint that you either bring or buy.
Do we need to book the bus painting?
The activity is free, but you can pre-order the paint kit online to save time in line.
Is paint sold on site?
Yes. On October 3, 2026 the line looked like at least an hour. That’s what we saw that day, not a guarantee for every year or time slot. Pre-ordering can save time.
What ages is it for?
The stations vary; we’d say it fits preschool-to-lower-elementary kids well.
How do we get there?
We were driven there by family; on the way back we rode a WeMo from near Beida to Yingge Station and took the train to Taipei. For the current year’s road closures, buses, and parking, check the organiser’s latest notice.
Nearby Activities
If you still have energy or plan to stay longer in Sanxia, here are family-friendly picks Crazy Lee selected from KKday:
- Manyueyuan National Forest Recreation Area ticket: good for families who like trails and nature.
- Sanxia Queen Town Forest / Windmill House camper experience: right in the Sanxia hills, great for a relaxed family getaway.
- High-Speed Rail New Taipei holiday: New Taipei City Art Museum, Manyueyuan, Sanxia Old Street day trip: good for families starting from Taipei who want to link Sanxia nature, the old street, and the museum in one day; check the departure date, minimum group size, and HSR ticket rules before booking.
Sources
- New Taipei City Hakka Cultural Park event page: 2026 7th 瘋北大兒童上街趣
- Accupass event page: 2026 彩繪公車 IART BUS TAIWAN
- Crazy Lee’s October 3, 2026 field notes.
Visit date: October 3, 2026. Last updated: October 11, 2026.
Affiliate Disclosure
This article contains affiliate links. Crazy Lee may earn a small commission if you book through these links, at no additional cost to you. Recommendations are based on experience, suitability, and practical value, not commission rates.
