More than 250 minors had fun in a Saturday morning in the neighborhood of BomRetiro in Carmo da Cachoeira, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, with the playful activities organized by the House of Light on the Hill, affiliated to the Fraternidade – International Humanitarian Federation during the International Week of Play, an initiative of the organization Alliance for Childhood.
The event was carried out by volunteers of the Tibetan Park School and House of Art and Education, both units of the House of Light on the Hill, with the support of the Missionaries of the Fraternidade, monks and nuns of the Grace Mercy Order and other collaborators. It was held on Saturday, May 28, 2016, in the Communitarian Hall of the Parish of BomRetiro.
Children of all ages gave free rein to their joy, imagination and creativity with the proposals presented by 20 monitors, which included rounds, educational games and advice given in a playfun way. There was also music, cake and refreshment. Everything was framed within the theme of the International Week of Play for this seventh annual edition: ‘The playing that enchants the place’.
Since a Little before 9 a.m., the most enthusiastic, under the guidance of some monitors, started to for two lines in front of the chapel of the neighborhood and to join hands to start the tunnel game.
After several minutes a potent voice burst in with a joyful child song that attracted everybody’s attention. It was one of the monitors, who began to gather those present in a great round and to give sung educational messages, with the support of recycled tools that, in his hands, took forms of animals, flowers and stars, under the attentive look of the little ones.
Then, everyone entered indian file, imitating a noisy train, into the parish hall, where they were distributed into the different tables especially prepared to make their imagination fly with color pencils, brushes, paper, paperboard, glue, scissors and other materials. The monitors also created various toys with recycles items, which found a quick response from many interested children who, forming patient lines, reached their units and received the instructions on how to use them. As time went by, the number of children increased, in an incessant flow of entry and exit. The proposed space became small. The ‘enchanted’ Saturday morning ended with a celebrated snack.
The International Day of Play was instituted in 1999, by the International Toy Library Association, and is celebrated on May 28. In Brazil, it was promoted by the Alliance for Childhood and, in an autonomous way, ended up extending into a whole week.
