The festival was held for the first time in 1958, it was created by a handful of citizens who were fond of art for children, but it soon developed into an important and complex festival obtaining worldwide significance. Three inseparable elements have been merged together here, firstly children, secondly the festival and thirdly the town of Šibenik. This event in itself is an assembly of children's creations and of those who create the best for children.

 

The festival promotes the esthetic education of children and youth, and it also helps them to develop all artistic forms of creativity, which is all considered to be the cultural-pedagogical reason for this event. Thanks to this creativity, the festival encourages and induces many ideas in different forms of art, children's art: drama, puppetry, musical, film, literary and art (painting). The festival accomplishes all this because it supports three vital features: holding annual parades of ensembles from foreign countries and Croatia (art for children), workshop activities; where children can actively participate in creating art (children creating art and their training), and organizing seminars (scientific aspect).

The festival's art program (painting ) can be seen from two similar aspects , children creating their own paintings using their own imagination, and works of art that have been donated to the children from well-known artists from Croatia and abroad.

The festival, having a humanitarian connotation, has the full support of UNICEF and UNESCO, and it's sponsored by the president of Croatia . It is also a member the International Association of Festivals –FIDOF, UNIMA, and ASSITEJ.