Children in Vinh city are 'thirsty' for a proper playground

Children's playgrounds are "weak" in both quantity and quality.

While the sound of cicadas calling for summer is bustling on the streets, children are eager for days away from books, parents in Vinh city are worried about finding a playground for their children.

The entire city currently has only about 5 large entertainment facilities such as squares, parks, and public flower gardens. But these places cannot be called real playgrounds for children when the space is divided equally for both young people and the elderly, and there is a lack of attractive physical activities for children...

Deteriorating image at one of the city's rare parks. File photo

To meet the needs of children's physical activity, one of the playgrounds that parents often choose is the campus of apartment buildings and urban areas. These places are often planned with facilities to serve children, but in reality, the games are still lacking in variety, not to mention that due to high usage density, the state of deterioration occurs very quickly, leading to major damage.

Well-off families can take their children to entertainment centers, but the games there are usually only suitable for young children and are confined indoors. Photo: Internet

For older children, it is easy to see that the future kindergartens are using the streets and sidewalks as their main playgrounds. Soccer, badminton, rollerblading…, favorite sports are taking place every day alongside the traffic on the streets, leaving the painful question “When will Vinh city children have many real playgrounds?”.

Children playing on the street pose many potential safety risks. Photo: Tung Linh

Parents' concerns and every child's dreams

Children in Vinh City are at a disadvantage compared to children in other provinces and cities in terms of their spiritual life. That is the opinion of Mr. Minh Ly (38 years old, Cua Nam Ward, Vinh City) - an educator and parent of two children aged 5 and 7.

“While in many other cities, children can run around in large, green parks and play exciting games every day, our children continue to stay within four walls or play in some spontaneous place amid the fear of their parents. Many times, seeing my two children running around with friends in the apartment hallway, or growing up every day on a rusty swing in the lobby of the building, I feel sad.”

Children have to go to abandoned, vacant lots to play. Photo: Tung Linh

Ms. Thu Hang (Hung Binh Ward, Vinh City), a mother with a 10-year-old daughter, shared: “On weekends, I always want to spend time taking my child out to play, to strengthen the bond between mother and child, but in the end, I only go to the square for a walk, while at the playground, there are very few games suitable for my child's age. I feel suffocated and uncomfortable because of the narrow space in the playgrounds of the shopping mall, along with the screaming and noise. Sometimes, if I want my child to be close to nature, such as going on a picnic, camping or going to the zoo, I have to travel to Dien Chau, Do Luong... which is quite far and difficult.”

Having a proper playground is not only the wish of parents but also the dream deep down in every child's heart.

Hoang Anh, an 8th grade student, said: “I really like playing basketball so I often go out with my friends. But every time I do, my mother calls to check on me every 10 minutes, making it impossible for me to concentrate on playing. My mother is always afraid that passing vehicles will endanger us, or that we will accidentally drop the ball on a pedestrian. I wish I had a really big yard so I could throw the ball freely.”

The city needs more natural playgrounds for children.

Like Hoang Anh’s wish, Minh Chau also often dreams of a large space with a zipline game that she loves. “I really like summer vacation because my parents will take me to Quang Binh to play zipline. But my cousin in Hanoi told me that she gets to play that game near her house every weekend, so I really want to play those kinds of exploration games right in Vinh without having to travel hundreds of kilometers away.”

It can be seen that playgrounds are not only places for children to run and play, but also factors that help children develop mentally, increase their understanding and social connection. Hopefully, Vinh city will soon have many real playgrounds for children, so that the young buds can grow up with comprehensive physical and mental development.