Fun activities planned for children of Utuado
By The Star Staff
The Parque Ramón Cabaña parking lot in Utuado will be the scene of fun and education for all children who come to Friday’s “Our Children First” event, which will be held by the Administration for the Integral Care and Development of Children (ACUDEN by its Spanish acronym), which is committed to providing families in Puerto Rico with tools for their integral development with a high educational value.
The event will take place from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and will feature some of the characters of the musical group Atención Atención.
The initiative, which will be extended to 12 municipalities of the island, seeks to promote learning through traditional games by putting into practice skills, including social skills, discipline, values, and behavior modification. It should be noted that the project encourages “La Hora de Juego” (Playtime) with strategies designed by the Atención Atención Foundation.
The project of the Family Department through ACUDEN also has the collaboration of the Mental Health and Anti-Addiction Services Administration (ASSMCA).
“We seek to keep traditional games alive, those that accompany us for years, generation after generation. Those are very important tools for our children’s healthy growth and for managing their emotions in their formative stages,” Family Secretary Carmen Ana González Magaz said. “The objective of the activity is to bring entertainment to the population. At the same time, we make the most of the learning options that these games offer us to establish conviviality between families and the community.”
ACUDEN Administrator Roberto Carlos Pagán said “we are balancing the scales so that our children not only focus on the games offered by new technologies, but also enjoy activities that allow them to discover values such as teamwork, cooperation, participation, making friends in the community, strengthening bonds of friendship, challenges, and enjoying family time in open spaces.”
Pagán added that ACUDEN has held more than a dozen activities focused on games for various municipalities around the island, including a comprehensive program of workshops, orientations, and services for the whole family.
Ceiba, Ciales, Corozal, Guayanilla, Juana Díaz, Las Marías, Naranjito, Sabana Grande, Vieques, and Villalba are some of the municipalities where the event will take place during the coming months.