A Sports Day for Kiddies Campus Preschool

School children all around the country have had a busy month with meaningful and fun activities. This year, Child Stimulation Month, is being held under the theme, “Hug me, Listen to me, Read with me, HELP ME GROW!” which is key to early childhood development.  Having prepared themselves, today the preschoolers from the Kiddies Campus Preschool in Belize City were showing off their sporting skills; they were joined by soldiers of the Belize Defence Force.  News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

Activities celebrating Child Stimulation Month continue across the country.  In Belize City, one preschool has gathered its kids and brought them out to the park for a mini sports day.  Working along with the children to introduce them to physical education is a team of cricketers from the Belize Defense Force.  It’s a unique match which sees these soldiers taking off their edge.

Adela Pilgrim

Adela Pilgrim, Principal, Kiddies Campus Preschool

“They have practiced for several weeks and they are three and four-year-olds, so they are taking part in lime and spoon, sack race, three-legged race, running race and we hope, if time permits, to get some of the parents to participate because we hope to wind down by midday.”

Isani Cayetano

“How does this kind of activity help in either childhood development, in terms of getting them active and physical and of course perhaps their ability to learn other activities other than book work, so to speak?”

Adela Pilgrim

“The benefits and the learning that takes place is numerous.  Sportsmanship begins there.  Sometimes they cry if they lose so we have to, you know, we have to enforce that virtue, so to speak.”

And those qualities are being inculcated by families, all here in support of these young athletes.  Giselle Pilgrim is a proud mother whose infant son attends Kiddies Campus Preschool.

Giselle Pilgrim

Giselle Pilgrim, Parent

“It’s beautiful to see him interact with other students and to see him in action.  When he comes home, the teachers have been prepping them, so he is practicing and it just feels nice to be able to see him interact and participate.”

Isani Cayetano

“Now it’s Child Stimulation Month and we’re somewhat winding down.  What have been some of the activities that your child has been involved in other than perhaps this sports day?”

Giselle Pilgrim

“Other than the sports day, my son Harrison has been in the Festival of Arts.  He participated by singing the national anthem, opening up for the Preschool Festival of Arts and a dance, a cumbia dance.”

For the B.D.F. team that is out here today, trading their battle dress uniforms for cricket jerseys shows a softer side of their profession.  The partnership involves a history of community outreach.

Leon Flowers

Leon Flowers, B.D.F. Soldier

“I think it’s an awesome interaction being with the kids, just being out here in our lighter uniforms, not to scare the kids in the BDUs, we have a better interaction to show off that the Belize Defense Force also has a heavy and a lighter side for the community, assisting them with community service and a well planned preparation for the kids.”

Child Stimulation Month concludes next Friday. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.