May 18, 20221 min read

Botshabelo Urban Kids in Midrand and Olievenhoutbosch

Play Box Postings: 6th Issue

Growing and planting saplings ...

Urban Kids is a non-profit faith-based educare centre that operates from a picturesque multipurpose centre in a peri-urban part of Midrand, Gauteng. The organisation focuses its interventions on young children growing up in poor rural communities ensuring they are provided with opportunities to grow and learn. The organisation runs the UpliftED programme which supports other Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres with training and resources. Through this programme, they work with these ECD providers in Olievenhoutbosch, a resource-constrained urban township, to strengthen provision in the area.

At the centre, the teacher facilitated a playful and varied lesson using Play Box with ease and demonstrated confidence in her practice. The children used the bricks in an early numeracy exercise. The teacher introduced a language exercise developing familiarity with English prepositions. She explained that she was working with language and motor skills.

"Play Box training is an integral component of an ECD practitioner that also focuses primarily on early literacy and numeracy ." (Trainer at Urban Kids, 2021)

Another trainer was preparing for an afternoon training session on learning through play using Six Bricks for practitioners from neighbouring ECD centres. LEGO® DUPLO bricks and training materials were neatly set out in places along the training tables in a well-organised training room.

Play Box is an important tool for learning through play around Midrand and Olievenhoutbosch. With resources and training provided by Care for Education, Urban Kids provides learners with opportunities for learning through play. Click here to read the full report by Gareth Rossiter.