‘Better the lives of those who have sought refuge in South Africa’
JOBURG – Play Africa, Three2Six educational project and Sacred Heart College will combine to give refugee children an opportunity for unrestricted, unstructured play using a range of low cost, low tech interventions on 6 June.
Play Africa and the Three2Six Educational Project will create a one-of-a-kind experience that children are sure to enjoy at the Sacred Heart College in Observatory on 6 June.
“Play Africa is a non-profit company that creates powerful play-based learning opportunities for children and families. Our vision is an equitable South African society that honours all children and champions every child’s right to play and discover,” said Gretchen Wilson-Prangley, CEO of Play Africa. “Together with the Three2Six education project, which is primarily dedicated to the protection and education of refugee children, we hope to offer children an opportunity for unrestricted, unstructured play using a range of low cost, low tech interventions.” In the Adventure Playgrounds [as it is called] children will use cardboard boxes to make castles, branches to stack together to make forts, long bamboo poles to use as flagpoles and swaths of fabric to make shelters.
“We will provide the materials that children will use by following their own inspiration and imagination. Adventure Playgrounds is the opposite of fancy jungle gyms. They can look messy and unimpressive because they are often made mainly from the everyday, simple materials.
“In fact, some adults who see Adventure Playgrounds may ask, ‘Is this it’? However, children often relish being invited to play freely and to re-purpose objects to support their play. Children often see room to roam, opportunities for joyful discovery and spaces they can fill with their own forts and hideouts.”
Wilson added that the purpose of the project is to better the lives of those who have sought refuge in South Africa, as well as those who have suffered from the effects of war, political struggles and economic hardship. “Our aim on 6 June is to encourage children to build new friendships, to try fresh play experiences and to deepen their engagement through a process of self-reflection. Our hope is that children will be so absorbed in the ‘flow’ of playful learning with one another that they lose track of time. This kind of play is well recognised to support cognitive, emotional, social and physical development – and hopefully a happy childhood memory.”
Read: 5 DIY play projects for parents and kids
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