Under parental supervision, Saraya (5) and Makaire Wharerimu (6), Jacob Lee (8) and Declan Wallis (9) got white paint and rollers out to cover curse words spray-painted on walls next to the neighbourhood shopping centre, near the Brockville Community Church.
One of the mothers on hand was not comfortable repeating the words being covered in front of the children when the Otago Daily Times arrived yesterday afternoon.
"It said some nasty words," Aleisha Wallis said.
"Stuff you wouldn’t want your children to read. Little kids can read and shouldn’t be reading that kind of stuff."
However, the local children were on school holidays and spending time at their grandmother’s house right around the corner when the crass graffiti appeared overnight on Friday.
They were looking out the window and seeing words that they could read, she said.
The family-led clean-up crew "got some supplies together and just got to it".
Friend of the family Paul Vincent, who was helping supervise the operation, said more paint would be required to paint the walls properly, but they had wanted to help the children "eradicate" the "crass" language from the neighbourhood.
"At least they’re not on their PlayStations or anything like that - too busy painting.
"Pretty much everyone in Brockville wants this stuff gone, we decided let’s just do it.
"I think it’s really cool, kids being active, wanting to help," he said.
- Staff reporter
