Offbeat

#ObamaAndKids: Photographs with adoring children flood Twitter

Pictures of US president with America’s youngsters shared on social media site

Barack Obama shares his strawberry pie with a boy during a lunch stop at Kozy Corners restaurant in Oak Harbor, Ohio, in 2012. Photograph: Pete Souza/White House via Getty Images
Barack Obama shares his strawberry pie with a boy during a lunch stop at Kozy Corners restaurant in Oak Harbor, Ohio, in 2012. Photograph: Pete Souza/White House via Getty Images
Niamh Towey
Sun Feb 21 2016 - 16:04

Photographs of US president Barack Obama with adoring young children have flooded Twitter this weekend under the hashtag #ObamaAndKids.

The trend started when activist Michael Skolnik shared a photograph of Obama with a young boy, taken by Pete Souza, noting that the picture illustrated how inspirational the first black president had been to young black children.

Skolnik then called on people to post their favourite photos of the president with little children, using the hashtag #ObamaAndKids, in an effort to celebrate Black History month.

Barack Obama bends over so the son of a White House staff member can pat his head during a visit to the Oval Office on May 8th, 2009. Photograph: Pete Souza/The White House via Getty Images
Barack Obama bends over so the son of a White House staff member can pat his head during a visit to the Oval Office on May 8th, 2009. Photograph: Pete Souza/The White House via Getty Images
Barack Obama dances with children at a cultural performance in Alaska on September 2nd, 2015. Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
Barack Obama dances with children at a cultural performance in Alaska on September 2nd, 2015. Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

The social media site shortly became inundated with pictures of the president cradling, cuddling and having the craic with US youngsters.

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Please note, these are not your typically disastrous baby photo-ops – you know, the ones with a red-faced Enda Kenny aimlessly cooing at a screaming, tear-sodden toddler.

Oh no. Obama glides through these with grace and ease, making for very entertaining viewing.

Some of our favourites are above.

Niamh Towey

Niamh Towey

Niamh Towey is an Irish Times journalist