Today is the International Day of Play, a day that reminds us that when we protect play, we protect childhood. Regardless of age, language, culture, or economic status, play is a universal language that brings people together, strengthens communities, and creates opportunities for children to thrive.
Earlier this year, a team of seven PlayQuest team members experienced this firsthand as they travelled from Canada to San Roman, Belize, to build a playground at United Community Primary School in the southern part of the country. As the only primary school for San Roman and nearby town Santa Rosa, it supports over 400 students from the combined populations of approximately 4,000 people. Partnered with Rotary International and Mission to Children (Previously the Emmanuel Foundation) which brings play to communities in Central America, PlayQuest donated the equipment, technical support, and installation expertise for the project. Sourced from a park in Calgary that was redone in 2019, the equipment was refurbished and repaired at the PlayQuest store yard in Edmonton, before being shipped out a few months ahead of the team, travelling by rail and boat to get to the town.
With Canadian winter in full force at the time, PlayQuest owners Derek and Curtis Giesbrecht took the opportunity to travel with site supervisors and managers to Belize for the build. “Installation is quite different from Canada. At home, we would use machines to do things like digging holes and mixing concrete, but there it was all physical labour,” said Derek about the building process, “And in 30 C instead of -30 C weather!”
The same way play promotes inclusion and collaboration, the project was a true collective effort as the team worked together with locals on the installation. It helped to create relationships with members of the Belizean and Rotary community as they achieved the goal of building a playground.
“We saw the real impact at the grand opening as the kids ran onto the playground for the first time. The children in these communities typically have never had a playground like this, and their appreciation for the playground is expressed not just through their words, but through their excitement,”& Derek recalled. This moment reinforces why the PlayQuest team remains committed to protecting play and creating opportunities for children to experience the joy of childhood.
Projects like this often create positive ripple effects within the community; Schools report an increase in attendance and decrease in lateness as students now have a fun and safe gathering place before and after class. This leads to higher literacy rates which are linked to healthier populations and skill development – all thanks to lessons learned in the classroom and on the playground.
A first for the company, PlayQuest plans to continue working with Rotary International and Mission to Children on more playgrounds in the future, whether they are in Belize or beyond.
Happy International Day of Play!
