How play centres help children relax their brains

Play centres are early childhood education and parenting organizations which operateparent-led early childhood education centres.  Play centres  recognise the value of early child education and specifically the educational value of child-initiated play.

Charles Mugaya the manager freedom city children's park  located at Namasuba  along Entebbe Road says that there is  an English saying  which states that work without play makes John a dull boy. He says that this saying applies to  especially the children  because  if   they  don't  get some time to play and spend most of their time  in class all day or doing home errands  for a long time  , the result of their growth  in both the brain and the body will not be  normal.

 He says that  play centres are good for kids because they help them kill off stress  because  most children in primary day schools  these days   have to get to school  as early as 5.00am  and reach home in the evening as late as 8.00pm where they have to do homework and end up sleeping at 10.00pm  Monday to Friday.

‘This shows that they don't get enough sleep to  rest their brain therefore if they  go to play centres over the week ends they can become  stress free. In addition play centres  help children to have physical fitness and confidence   because of the many activities they get involved in with other children at the play centres which helps them rub off all the fear that they will have had" Mugaya says.   

 Mugaya says that  Freedom city  children's park has five  swimming pools  which  accommodate  ages  2-15 years, play cages which have , bouncing castles,  boxing punching bags, electric and manual merry go rounds, baby castles, slides, swings and kids concert arena where kids concerts are held.

The mayor of Mukono and  proprietor of Festino Citie located at Ntawo in Mukono  George Fred Kagimu  says that   children also  need to relax their brains like the adults.

‘In this way play centres  help them  relax their minds using the  play equipment that  has many activities to boost their brains.

 Festino Citie has a swimming pool  where the children can relax but  however there are some children who don't work well with water  because  some of them fear to drown in it  and others  are allergic  to it when they swim.

 Photos by Jovita Mirembe

In this therefore they can use other play equipment which include, slides, swings, merry go rounds, tyre plays and   the si- saw in order to relax their minds says Kagimu.

The events manager of Wonder world Amusement park located in Kansanga along Gaba road  Abdul Kiguli  says that play centres  help children to develop their playing character because  children and playing  are inseparable.

"If a child doesn't play during their childhood days  it means they are not normal  which will retard their  brain in the  development process.

 Play centres help children in giving them a sense of direction of doing things  in order and also  increasing on their thinking capacity because some of the play equipment  have puzzles which help them to think and find a solution.

These play centres help  children  to interact  and associate with others  because many of  the equipment  involve them having to get on in  big numbers "  says Kiguli

 He adds that wonder world amusement park has a variety of play  equipment which   include the Octopus, pirate ship, convoy cars, caterpillar, water slides, cups and sauces, train ,  Electric merry go round, sky driver, bouncing castles, play ground which has si saw, slide and swing.

  Kiguli says that a typical day at  wonder world play centre would include activities like painting, playdough, playing in the sandpit or on swings, collage, baking, carpentry, dressing up and more.

 Flavia Namulindwa  the Public Relations Officer of Kingdom Kids paradise a play centre  located at the roof top of Muganzilwaza  building  in Katwe says that play centres are good  for children because they help them to interact with other children from different families and schools.

‘ When a child is  always at home and doesn't move  out to other places they  tend  to  have a character of fear in them because they will be associating with the same people and will always think that that's the end of the world. However if these children  are taken out to play centres they will meet new people and also play in a new environment which will help them sharpen their brains.

When children are at school they spend most of their time  in academics which makes them have less playing time but when they  are taken to play centres they will have less academics and more fun' says  Namulindwa.

She says that  play centres help children  in learning different skills which include swimming and solving  mathematical equations  through  puzzles  in  some  play equipment.

Namulindwa says that Kingdom  kids paradise has play equipment which include swings, jumping castles, bouncing castles, slides  and a swimming pool.

 She adds that however some rich people  build play centes in their homes  to let their children have fun instead of taking them to play centres.             

Garden City kids park located at  yusuf Lule  road  is another play centre in the city centre which has a deluxe play centre , slide, bouncing castle and  a toy  plane which is operated by some one first  depositing in  coins of shs1500 and it moves up and down making the kids feel like they  are  moving in a plane when they are inside.   This equipment helps the children to  relax  the children's brain and also making  them excited plus brightening their  brains.