Opening children’s minds through play

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6 May 2022

The Ithemba Upliftment Foundation, an initiative of Divercity Urban Property Fund, is excited to have hosted the very first sessions of a fun and educational Inner City Kidz Holiday Club.

The award winning Not for Profit Organisation, Play Africa was selected to curate and facilitate a jam packed daily programme from 28 March to 01 April 2022 at Jewel City. The programme focused on keeping children occupied over the school holidays which allowed tenants from the apartments located in Jewel City and surrounding apartment buildings the peace of mind of knowing their children were safe.

More than 400m2 of a space in Jewel City into a playful learning landscape for children aged 3 to 13. 24 play and learning facilitators were brought in to support the learning experience of a maximum of 200 children. The play and learning facilitators demonstrated and assisted the children to practice new skills through playful learning experiences that were age appropriate.

The aim of the programme was to spark imagination, problem-solving and critical thinking by opening children’s minds to new ideas, experiences and future careers. Some of the themes for the activities included:

I am a Scientist: Hands-on science education exhibitions and experiments. These interactive stations helped children discover the wonder of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) in the world all around them. The aim was to get children excited about STEM subjects and help create a more diverse future workforce by showing every child that she or he can become a scientist!

Dinosaur Dig: Hands-on educational programme to inspire the next generation of South African palaeo-scientists! Children assume the role of a scientist to explore the evidence that makes dinosaurs intriguing, discovering the wonder of the prehistoric world of dinosaurs while building critical, 21st-century skills in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).

My Constitution: Facilitator-led dialogue sessions and role play to introduce children to the ways people make their voice heard in a democratic society. The activities included making one’s voice heard in a courtroom setting, learning to vote in an election, and making signs to affirm their rights in a peaceful demonstration.

Design Thinking: Children were empowered to think creatively and develop a growth mindset as they developed innovative solutions to real world challenges. This unparalleled learning experience built the children’s self-confidence as self-directed problem-solvers and helped nurture the next generation of creators, innovators, inventors.

African Storytelling: Dynamic storytelling sessions by professional African storytellers. The sessions included local musical traditions, movement, and were offered in English and other indigenous languages.

Being at the forefront of moulding young minds ties into the ethos of Divercity; to strive to provide better communities and a more sustainable environment for the residents of Maboneng and Joburg CBD.

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