Children taking care of flowers in the playground
Children in the city lack places to play.
When visiting Tang My village (Nam Hong commune, Dong Anh district, Hanoi), it is not difficult to see a children's playground created by the Think Playgrounds project that was inaugurated a few days ago. This is the 243rd children's playground that Think Playgrounds has implemented nationwide.
Mr. Nguyen Tieu Quoc Dat, co-founder of the Think Playgrounds project, said: "I was born in the countryside but moved to the city at the age of 5. Every time I return to my hometown, I feel inferior to my cousins because everyone can climb trees easily, but I cannot climb high because I am afraid. If I had played more in the countryside, my physical condition would be better than now, and I would have less fear."
Even when he grew up, he thought he no longer had any regrets about children's playgrounds, but one time someone asked Dat: "I want to go see a children's playground in Hanoi", Dat suddenly realized that "it's really hard to find".
Because in Hanoi, not only is there little space for children to play, but it is also occupied by street vendors, businesses or parking lots. From there, Mr. Dat and his colleagues founded the volunteer group Think Playgrounds, which has now developed into a social enterprise.
Mr. Dat determined that Think Playgrounds' mission is to build many playgrounds in the city, bringing joy to children.
In particular, Think Playgrounds chooses its own approach. Accordingly, Think Playgrounds is not the one who gives the playground, and residents and children become the owners of the playground, not the recipients of the gift.
"Just placing a small toy in a space that is not yet defined as a playground has changed people's perception of the space. Residents there both implement and enjoy, and protect the playground," said Mr. Dat.
Playground for children under Long Bien bridge by Think Playgrounds
Children's laughter is an endless source of happiness.
When the project was first established, it received great support from the community, but there were also some opposing opinions such as: Why not a playground in a remote area? Most people think that children in the city have everything, but in reality, urban children lack playgrounds and experiences. Not only do they need to have enough material things, but they also need to have enough spirit to develop comprehensively.
"The curriculum for students today is very dense, so playing space helps students escape pressure and return to being innocent, naive children," said Mr. Dat.
Think Playgrounds not only creates playgrounds but also conveys educational messages about the environment, aesthetics and culture. For example, there is a playground designed based on the legend of Saint Giong with a horse and giant footsteps. In addition, from all scrap materials such as old tires, ropes, wood, bottles... can design and craft toys for the playground.
A project begins with a meeting with the community, including children. "Because the children are young, we let them use drawings or clay to create their own ideas, and then we design and build. Each playground has its own design, there is no fixed template," said Mr. Dat.
Mr. Dat (far left) and the community come up with ideas to design a playground.
Each playground has about 10 volunteers, mainly local residents, and depending on the project, it can take from half a month to 2 months to complete. The project touches on many community issues and depends on the current status of the land, the relationship with the people determines a lot of the implementation process.
In April 2023, Think Playgrounds also collaborated with Tay Ninh Center for the Education of Blind Children to research and develop playground designs specifically for visually impaired children.
Phuc Tan Forest Park (Phuc Tan Ward, Hoan Kiem District) is one of the most successful playgrounds of Think Playgrounds. Currently, the park has many trees and flower gardens, becoming an ideal place for entertainment for both children and the community.
Wooden iron horse model in the legend of Saint Giong in the playground
Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Luan - head of residential group 1, Phuc Tan ward - said: Previously, the forest park area was a garbage dump, overgrown with trees. When the project came, some people did not agree, but after disseminating the information, everyone agreed to hand over the land for the project to make a playground. Currently, women's and youth organizations are participating in operating, caring for and enjoying the benefits of the playground, a truly wonderful space.
Nguyen Thai Thuy Duong, Phuc Tan ward, shared: "When I come to this playground, I feel very happy, there are many interesting games and many friends to play with. Before this playground, I just stayed at home watching TV or on my phone, since this playground, I often come here to play basketball, soccer, blind man's buff...".
"From just a rope, we can make a net or a very useful jump rope or tug of war game for children. We have tried every way to make sure there is no trash and the trash does not come back. If there is no trash, we can pick up the trash, but if after picking up the trash, the trash still comes back, it is a pity.
We have designed a space for people to love where they live and when they love where they live, they will not throw trash in the place where they live anymore. The innocent laughter of the children is the source of happiness for the project workers, we also get to return to our childhood," said Mr. Dat.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/cuoc-thi-tai-tao-xanh-bien-nhung-bai-rac-thanh-san-choi-cho-tre-em-2024070117255003.htm
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