An entire day dedicated to play at Mbombela Stadium

Kay Redfield Jamison uttered some wise words when she said, “Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.”

Accordingly, May 28 is marked on calendars worldwide as World Play Day, celebrating one of the best parts of being a child – playing!

The non-governmental organisation, Penreach, together with its partners, funders, early childhood development (ECD) practitioners from numerous preschools in the community and parents, all came together at Mbombela Stadium on May 30 to commemorate the day.

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The rugby field, which usually sees grown men playing sport, was a sea of smiles and little busy bodies running around between the different playing stations provided.

Close to 3 000 children came together and enjoyed the carefreeness of being a child. They hopped on bouncy castles, raced their pool-noodle horses across the field, competed in tug-of-war, enjoyed storytime, balanced eggs on spoons and used their imaginations while building LEGOs.

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Modupi Mazibuko, programme manager of continuous professional ECD development at Penreach, said the initiative focuses on cultivating a society that grasps the importance and power of play, which is one of the cornerstones for children’s holistic development.

“Children learn through play, therefore it’s critical in their development. Play contributes positively to the cognitive, physical, social and emotional well-being of children,” he said.

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This year’s World Play Day’s theme aimed to highlight that play is for everyone. It happens everywhere, every day, and is the right of every child and young person.

“The event was even more special, because this year, it fell together with Child Protection Week, which raises awareness of children’s rights as articulated in the Constitution of SA and the Children’s Act,” Mazibuko told Lowvelder.

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The newly crowned Mrs Mpumalanga Lowveld, Candice Williams, and Mrs Mpumalanga 4U Foundation’s title holder, Jessica Prim, helped educate the children on some of their rights through song. The catchy lyrics, ‘No, no, no touching my safety zone’, accompanied by equally catchy dance moves, emphasised the right of every child to be protected from maltreatment, neglect, abuse or degradation. They also included the child helpline number in their song, which is 116.

Apart from the flagship event at Mbombela Stadium, Penreach also took Play Day to the communities of Bushbuckridge, Nkomazi and Ermelo. “It was a succesful event. In all our approaches, we need to defend the children’s rights to play,” Mazibuko said.

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The grown-up Pumas rugby players also tagged along to enjoy Play Day and tried their hands at being children once again, joining in with the fun and laughter that echoed through the whole stadium.

Without a doubt, children’s right to play, discover and imagine were promoted to great extent during Play Day 2023.