Page 11 - aruba-today-20220813

a11
local Saturday 13 auguSt 2022

Fundacion Hunga Teca emphasizes

the importance of play for children’s

development

During their activities, Hun-
ga Teca teaches the chil-
dren how adults used to
play in the past. Currently
toys can be very expensive,
and in the past, parents
had many more children,
so this is why the foundation
wants to teach the children
that to have fun, play with
each other, and develop
their mind, body and spirit,
it’s not necessary to have a
lot of money. What is need-
ed is creativity, and the
Children play to have fun, intelligent. When children love of the parents playing
but this is also how they play with each other, or with the kids.
develop their motor skills, with their parents, they de-
creativity, imagination, velop their social and emo- Hoeverts-Kock comment-
thinking capacity, and also tional skills. “That means ed that Fundacion Hunga
learn to discover them- that children develop a Teca always demands that
selves as a person. This is lot of important aspects to when the children take part
the mission of Fundacion their development. That’s in their activities, they must
Hunga Teca, to give the why we at Hunga Teca fo- come accompanied by an
children the opportunity to cus on playing and learn- adult, because the foun- hours. But the little quality
develop in different areas ing through play”, she says. dation wants to strengthen “The parents work, and we time you have per day, be
and to learn through play. the family circle. all know that nowadays it five or ten minutes, play
parents have to work long with your child. Grandpa
President of Fundacion and Grandma also have
Hunga Teca, Yamila Hoe- a big role to play in the
vertsz-Kock, explains that development of a child.
Fundacion Hunga Teca is a Sit down to play with your
sort of library where the chil- grandkids”, she added.
dren can become mem-
bers, for only five florins per Hoevertsz-Kock says that
year, and they can borrow the children find the activi-
a toy and exchange it ev- ties really fun, and there is
ery week (Hunga Teca is a good reaction. As a for-
a play on the Papiamento mer school teacher, she
words ‘hunga’ – to play, explains that she noticed
and ‘biblioteca’ – library). how a lot of kids spend
The foundation is focused time on electronic devices,
on educational toys be- because when playing cer-
cause through play, a child tain games, they stumble
can learn a lot. because they are not used
to playing those games.
In Aruba there are many At the same time, the kids
underprivileged children. themselves also notice
At home and at school, that the more they do it,
these children do not have the better their technique
access to the right materi- becomes. This was a small
als to play in order to aid challenge for them, she ex-
their development. Hunga plains.
Teca makes sure to provide “I have to say that more
these children with toys so needs to be done for the
that they can start to foster gross motor skills, more
a love of learning. games in this regard. Sports
are good, but it’s also pos-
Hoevertsz-Kock explains sible to play with things
that when children play, around the house”, she
they develop their gross emphasizes.
motor skills by running,
jumping, etc. When they Today, Fundacion Hunga
play with Lego, they devel- Teca has a painting on
op their fine motor skills, but canvas workshop. For more
also develop their creative information, you can con-
side, as well as their intel- tact them through their
lect and become more Facebook Page.q